


The Proposal

by BirdOfHermes



Series: The Thirst Trials [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Banter, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Blindfolds, Boss/Employee Relationship, Breast Fucking, Consent, Cunnilingus, Dom Loki (Marvel), Dom/sub Undertones, Dry Sex, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Immigration & Emigration, Jealous Loki (Marvel), Light Angst, Light Bondage, Light Dom/sub, Oral Sex, POV First Person, Possessive Loki (Marvel), Power Dynamics, Praise Kink, Rough Sex, Slow Burn, The Proposal - Freeform, Voice Kink, sub Reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-10 01:31:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 35,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15938999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdOfHermes/pseuds/BirdOfHermes
Summary: An AU gender-reversal of the 2009 romantic comedy The Proposal. You work for Loki Laufeyson at Asgard International Publishing. He accidentally lets his work Visa expire and is about to be deported back to England, so he blurts out that he's marrying you. Now you have to convince an immigration inspector as well as your own family that you're in love with Loki or he gets deported for life and you face five years jail time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sigh. Why does modern day, no powers Loki seem to just have his claws hooked in me right now? To be clear, The Proposal is by no means a good movie, but it is amusing and the premise just leapt out at me as a good place to have some more fun with the Thirst Trials. Therefore, sit back and enjoy more of our trashlord in another AU setting. 
> 
> If you've read the other stories in this series, relax, no connection aside from no powers/no superheroes. Some parts of the story will directly follow the plot/scenes from The Proposal, but I plan to use it more as a jumping off point. You're welcome to go check the movie out if you want to see how faithful this fic is, but it's not a requirement.
> 
> Well, here's hoping you enjoy it!

_Everyone tells me he's no good_  
_He doesn't love me like he should_  
_I would forget him if I only could_  
_He's a demon, he's a devil, he's a doll_  
_[...]_  
_Sometimes, I'll make up my mind that I'll stop being so blind_  
_And tell him off real bad_  
_But then he turns on those charms_  
_And there I am in his arms_  
_And I forget why I'm mad_  
_I oughta tell him 'drop dead'_  
_But I keep loving him instead_  
_My mama must have dropped me on my head_  
_He's a demon, he's a devil, he's a doll_

 _Sometimes he thrills me through and through_  
_Sometimes he's sweet, sometimes he's true_  
_Sometimes I wish he were in Timbuktu!_  
_He's a demon, he's a devil, he's a doll_  
_[...]_  
_He drives me crazy, but he's cute_  
_Why do I love a guy I ought to shoot?_

_-"He's a Demon, He's a Devil, He's a Doll" by Betty Hutton_

I _hate_ my life.

I didn't always hate my life, mind you. Childhood? Cool. Teenage years? Awkward, but still cool. College? Still awkward, but I had a good time. Then I graduated and made the incredibly stupid decision to write a novel. One thing people don't realize that if you don't already know somebody in the industry, breaking into it is hell. I spent months sending my manuscript to publishing companies and literary agents only to come up with zilch. Finally, I had to ask for help and my mother suggested that I become an administrative assistant to the head writer of a publishing company where she had a contact and then simply impress him or her and then I'd be able to transition my way into becoming what I'd always dreamt of being: a published author.

Well, the first part happened. I got the job.

Only I got the job with the Devil.

The Devil's name? Loki Laufeyson.

I know, I know, that's an absurd name. But it's his real one. His father was a Norse history buff and simply couldn't resist, or at least that's what I've heard.

Funny thing is, just looking at him, Loki doesn't look like the Devil. He's about 6'4'', long black hair, slender cheekbones, enviable seawater eyes, a classic chin, aquiline nose, all set upon a slender frame and enhanced by a deep, velvet voice with a British accent to top it off.

But it's said in the Bible that Lucifer was the most beautiful angel before he fell.

Why is my boss the Devil?

Oh, let me count the ways.

I'd arrived to my interview with him bright and early at seven o'clock in the morning. I'd even showed up ten minutes before my scheduled time just to show my reliability and that I was eager to work. His last administrative assistant had outright quit about a month ago and even though he had a full staff, apparently his schedule was so intensely busy that they simply couldn't cover the position without devoting one employee to manage it.

A tired, haggard plump black woman poked her head around the cubicle across from where I sat, holding her fingers over the mic of her headset. "He's ready for you, dear."

"Oh," I'd said, scooping up my briefcase. "Thank you."

She shook her head sadly at me. "May God be with you, child."

I blinked at her, confused, but still knocked on the door to Loki's office. He responded in a clipped tone. "Come in."

I opened the door. His office was damn near the size of my freaking apartment. It was spotlessly clean and mostly done in dark green, white, black, and gold all over. He had a white desk with his laptop out, his fingers flying across his keys, his lips moving with no sound coming out.

"Good morning, Mr. Laufeyson," I'd said, walking in front of the desk. He didn't look up. I chewed my lip and waited. Nearly five minutes passed before my anxiety took over and I cleared my throat.

"Sir?"

He heaved a sigh and glanced up at me. "No."

"No what?"

"No," he repeated. "You're not what I'm looking for. Goodbye."

I froze. "Excuse me?"

"Are you hard of hearing, sweetheart?" he said, his lip curling. "I said goodbye. That's your cue to exit."

I licked my lips. "I'm here to interview for your admin position, sir."

"And you don't fit the profile that I have in place for my admins," he said, scowling. "One, they must be over forty years old. Two, they must have experience. Three, they must be well-dressed."

He picked up a piece of paper, presumably my resume, and dropped it again. "Apparently, you're oh-for-three. Thus, goodbye."

My temper flared to life. "If those were your specifications, then why did you take this meeting with me at all? I'm sure my referral would have at least told you my age."

"It was a favor," he said dismissively. "I looked you over and now the favor has been returned. I'm not going to tell you again: goodbye, sweetheart."

I slammed both hands down on his desk. "My name is not sweetheart. I don't care who you are, but you will never call me that again if you value your life. Thank you for wasting my time with your arrogant, spoiled, rude behavior and I hope that you don't find anyone willing to put up with your attitude, because God knows no one deserves being stuck licking your boots for fifteen bucks an hour."

I straightened my suit jacket, picked up my briefcase, and stalked towards the door. My hand was on the knob when he spoke again.

"You're hired."

I stopped dead. Then I glared at him over my shoulder. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

Loki grinned and pushed his rolling chair back, standing. I'd almost jumped when I realized just how tall he actually was, nearly dwarfing me in size. "Not at all. That was a test. You passed with flying colors."

My mouth dropped open. "What?"

"I need someone with a spine," he said. "Someone who won't bend to the will of others who will demand my attention when they don't deserve it. Someone with teeth."

He touched my chin. "And you have quite the impressive set of fangs. You're also right. No one should have to put up with me for fifteen bucks an hour. I'll make it twenty."

He leaned in until his lips were level with my ear. "And I get to call you sweetheart as many times as I bloody wish."

Loki straightened and arched an eyebrow at me. "Do we have a deal, sweetheart?"

My mind screamed at me to say no, but my bank account made the executive decision to say yes.

And that's how I came to work for the Devil.

* * *

My phone rang this morning at five am. I groaned into my pillow as the cobwebs of a good night's rest clung to my foggy brain. I peeled my face from the heavenly softness and picked up the phone. "Yes?"

"I want a cold brew, low ice, cream with no sugar on my desk at six," Loki said, wind rushing in the background. "I also want a cinnamon raisin bagel and a blueberry muffin as well. Did you send the edits for the Washington manuscript to me last night?"

"Yes," I muttered, mentally cursing him in every language I knew.

"Good. Oh, and be a dear and wear that little blue skirt that I like for me today. I have a meeting with a potential client and he likes girls with pretty legs."

"Fine. That all?"

"Order my lunch to be on my desk by noon. The Vietnamese place. I want a number seven, no onions."

"Fine. That all?"

He clucked his tongue. "You really have bad manners in the morning, sweetheart. Now get that perky little ass out of bed and get to work."

He hung up. I snarled and dropped the phone before burying my face in the pillow and roaring madly for several seconds. Then I just went completely limp and accepted that today was just going to be a bad goddamn day.

Loki ran every morning. Sometimes I got lucky and he'd run at six, which meant that I had to be in the office by seven o'clock, but lately he'd been doing a five am run and I had to be at the office by six. It gave him enough time to return home, shower, descend to hell to order his minions around, and then show up freshly washed and coiffed and insufferable. He had absolutely no respect for my time, my sleep schedule, or pretty much anything about me in general even though I'd worked for the man coming up on a year.

Loki ran Asgard International Publishing. It featured novels of all types centered mainly around Europe, but it covered from Australia to China if he found the subject matter interesting enough. It was one of the largest, most successful publishing companies still alive and kicking thanks to being one of the first to move all publications to e-books and to invest in several extremely popular blogs.

Yours truly was stuck doing practically everything the Devil didn't feel like doing: reading submissions from starving artists, sending thank you cards to sponsors, scheduling meetings, taking phone calls, and then handling every stupid, tedious thing in his personal life like ordering lunch, booking flights, and getting his dry cleaning. Was it worth twenty bucks an hour? Hell no. Would I do it anyway with the slim hope that I'd get to become a novelist and escape his evil clutches? Sadly, yes.

I had just placed his breakfast on the desk when the door opened and Loki strolled in. He swept the coffee out of my hand without saying thank you--a frequent annoying habit of his--and he gave me a brief once over to confirm I'd worn the stupid blue skirt he liked. He cocked his head to one side and plucked my ponytail holder off, spilling my hair around my face and shoulders.

"There," he said, plopping down in his chair. "Much better. Out. My appointment should be here soon. I want that synopsis from the former Vogue writer cleaned up and on my desk in an hour, sweetheart."

"Fine," I growled, dumping the paperwork for his next meeting beside the food.

Loki frowned up at me. "Fine what?"

I gritted my teeth, but spat the words out anyway. "Fine, sir."

He batted his eyelashes at me. "Well, well. She has manners after all."

I pictured setting his entire suit on fire and then pouring boiling hot coffee on him to put it out. It was a frequent fantasy of mine. I swiveled on my heels and left his office, trying my hardest not to slam the door shut on my way out. My desk sat right outside the door, too close for comfort, but it was just the way things needed to be to intercept anyone making a beeline for him. Being an entitled douchebag meant the man had a line of enemies around the block, so I kept an eagle eye out for anyone disgruntled. Well, anyone other than me.

I logged into my computer and caught up on the pile of work that had accumulated since I'd left last night at about ten o'clock. My phone rang and I answered it without even looking as I scoured the synopsis he'd mentioned for spelling and grammar errors. His policy was that if I found three or more, send it back to the author. No exceptions.

"Asgard International Publishing. How may I help you?"

"Good morning," a man's voice said. "This is Phil Coulson. I'm Mr. Laufeyson's immigration lawyer. I need to speak with him on some urgent business."

"Good morning, Mr. Coulson. Mr. Laufeyson has a packed schedule today, but I might be able to squeeze you in this afternoon. Can I call you back in an hour with some open times?"

"Yes, thank you." He rattled off his number and I took it down. "Please stress to him the importance of this matter. It is, to put it plainly, life and death."

"I will, sir. Thank you. I'll call you in an hour." I hung up and frowned a little. It had sounded like a real emergency, not one of the fake ones people tried to use to get face time with him. I brought up Loki's schedule for the day and scoured it for open time. Not much, but I could snag a little time after lunch when he took one of his power naps. He wouldn't like it, but big surprise, he didn't like anything anyway.

My office phone chimed and I answered it. "Yes sir?"

"Sweetheart, run downstairs and get a parking issue cleared up for Mr. Morningside."

I massaged the bridge of my nose. "How do you expect me to do that?"

"Come in here and get my wallet. I have at least five hundred dollars in there." He hung up.

I slammed the phone down on the cradle. I sat there, counted to ten, and then threw on my cute, perky assistant smile as I opened the door to his office. A chubby British fellow sat across from Loki, chortling at something he'd said. They were both smoking cigars. I held my breath to keep the stench out of my nostrils, collected the wallet with a girlish flourish, and then exited.

It took me twenty freaking minutes to negotiate with the parking attendant to excuse Mr. Morningside's improper parking in the wrong space, but I got it done and returned upstairs. The fat old geezer gave me a wink before waddling off and I shut Loki's door behind me as I stepped inside. I grabbed a spray bottle of Febreeze and did a lap around the office as I filled him in on everything he'd missed in the past hour, ending with the immigration lawyer.

"Oh, that old thing," Loki grumbled. "Can't you just blow him off like I've done for the past four months?"

"I wouldn't advise it," I said. "He said life or death."

"Death would save me from a meeting with that insipid little man," he said, unraveling his tie from his throat. He tossed it on the desk and went to the small dresser beside his bookshelf and chose a new one. He then crooked a finger at me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and walked over to tie it for him.

"It probably won't take long," I said, evening each side of the tie out and then beginning the knot. "You can just get it over with after lunch. If it's paperwork, I'll take it with me this weekend to--"

"Weekend?" he said, frowning. "I need you this weekend."

I stiffened. "I requested off four months ago. It's my grandmother's 90th birthday."

"We just lost one of my literary agents," he said. "All of his submissions have to be routed to the others in the meantime. We're both working this weekend. Otherwise, the workload will topple over and we'll miss every deadline from now until the end of the year."

Anger boiled in my stomach. I jerked the knot completely closed and tucked his collar down over it. "Fine."

I shut the door behind me, went to the bathroom, and sat alone in a stall for ten minutes.

It took me that long to keep from crying.

* * *

I hadn't ever met Loki's immigration lawyer in person. We communicated over email. He tried to keep direct contact with Loki for confidential reasons. He was a little shy of six feet tall, had a disarming smile, a bit of an odd walk to him, but a strong grip of a handshake. To my surprise, he wasn't alone when he came to my desk--Loki's boss, Nick, was with him. Nick was a tall, intimidating black man in his fifties with a no-nonsense demeanor, but he was surprisingly polite for a big shot. I showed them in and then shut the door, returning to my work.

An hour later, the door popped open and they exited.

But then something weird happened.

They both stopped at my desk and told me "congratulations."

I tried not to look completely confused as I thanked them and they went on their way. A second later, Loki appeared in the doorway to his office looking pale and distraught. "In here. Now."

I walked in and he shut the door and locked it. The sound made me jump a little. "Have a seat."

Still frowning, I sat. He didn't. He paced in front of the desk chewing his thumbnail. He did that whenever he was anxious, which wasn't often. Something had gone wrong.

"Do you remember a few months ago when I went to Bristol to acquire an author?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Well, apparently, I wasn't supposed to do that while renewing my Visa," he said. "And I didn't turn the paperwork in on time for said renewal either. Therefore, they want to deport me back to England."

My jaw dropped. "Sir?"

"Yes," he continued. "If they deport me, I lose my job here and I can't return to the states for a year or longer."

He swallowed hard. "But the thing is...they can't deport me if I were to marry an American citizen and get my green card."

My eyebrows rose. "But...sir, you're not even dating anyone right now."

Loki took a deep breath. "Right. However, I may have told them otherwise to prevent getting deported."

A sinking feeling filled my gut. "May have told them what?"

Loki shut his eyes. "I told them I proposed to you last night and you said yes."

The oxygen in the room simply vanished. I stared open-mouthed at him. "You did _what?_ "

"I panicked," he sighed. "It was the only option I could think of to keep them from carting me off like some common criminal."

I leapt to my feet then. "You _are_ a criminal. That's illegal, Loki. You can't just lie and say we're getting married so you can stay in this country."

Loki pushed his hair out of his eyes and straightened a bit, fixing me with a cold stare. "Sweetheart, I don't think you grasp the gravity of what's happening here. I can't get deported. I've worked too bloody hard for this company to make it what it is now. I'm not losing my legacy over some bad timing and unfiled paperwork. This is the only option."

"The only option?" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Really? You think you can pass me off as your fiancee in front of a trained professional immigration inspector? You don't know the first thing about me, Loki."

"We have three days until the interview," he said coldly. "I'm certain it'll barely take an hour to figure you out, sweetheart."

"You can go to hell, Loki. That's jail time if we get caught. Find some other girl." I whirled on my heel, but he caught my arm and yanked me around to face him.

"Alright, alright!" he spat. "You raise a valid point. Therefore, why don't we make each other a deal? First off, if you agree to do this with me, we'll get a quickie divorce as soon as the green card is valid. I swear it on my honor. Second off, I know why you're really here. You want to submit a novel and get it published with us. Fine. If you help me, I will launch your novel with all the bells and whistles and support possible to make it a hit. I'll put it in writing and have it ready for you to sign before you leave tonight."

I clenched my jaw. Damn him. He knew how to hit me where it hurt. I did want that more than anything, honestly. It was extremely hard to get a novel to a literary agent, even working here and knowing the people who accepted manuscripts. I could skip the line. I could finally get my dream going instead of waiting for the Devil to finally come around.

Loki exhaled and shut his eyes. "And I'll let you go to your grandmother's birthday party this weekend...provided that you take me with you to convince the immigration inspector that this is real."

He settled both of his big hands on my shoulders, his voice softer now. "I need you."

This was a bad idea. A colossally bad freaking idea. I could face jail time and a huge fee that I had no hopes of ever paying. But he could also fire me and make sure that no publishing company ever took a look at me or my work ever again if I refused him. It was insane and unfair and my throat burned with the urge to scream at him for even putting me in this position.

"Ask me."

Loki frowned. "Ask you what?"

"Ask me nicely to marry you," I said frostily.

Loki seethed. "You've got to be bloody kidding me."

"Then I'm not doing it. Bye." I started to walk away, but he grabbed me again.

"Fine," he growled. A supremely satisfied sensation swept over me, replacing the fear and frustration. He opened his mouth again, but I interrupted him.

"Oh, no you don't. Down on one knee."

Loki worked his jaw for a moment and slowly sunk onto his plush office carpet. I let an evil smile slip across my lips as he took my hand between his slender fingers and forced out the words.

"Will you marry me?"

"What's the magic word?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "I'll slit your throat if you say no."

I clucked my tongue. "Those aren't the magic words, Loki."

He ground his teeth before trying again. "Will you please marry me?"

"With sugar on top," I added helpfully.

"Will you please, with sugar on top, marry me?"

I wrinkled my nose, pretending to think about it. "Yes, I will. You're buying the plane tickets. I want first class, no exceptions. And I'm off for the rest of the day so that I can pack. Get your own damn lunch for once. I'm also going to use your corporate card to get my grandmother the most extravagant gift I can possibly find. And no, I'm not going to pay you back, sweetheart."

With that, I tugged my hand loose and strolled out of the office without looking back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Loki check in with the immigration inspector and head up to see your family to tell them the news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep in mind, I'm winging it in terms of what to expect from immigration.

"Good morning. My name is Clint Barton. I'll be your immigration inspector and interviewer."

The man sitting in front of us, lounging back in the chair of his small office, didn't look terrifying, but he somehow gave off an aura that he was more capable than his posture implied. He had brown hair and blue eyes, wasn't terribly tall, and had a sturdy body type. He had little trophies on the shelves and desks behind him proclaiming that he was a sharpshooter and a golf champion. Good to know, I guess.

"I want you two to understand something," he said as he folded his hands. "I'm very good at my job. Not bragging, either. I'm just stating a fact. I'm very good at determining the validity of a relationship. Therefore, you get fair warning. If this is just an attempt to prevent Mr. Laufeyson's deportation, I will not hesitate to bring the hammer down. I won't be swayed by tears or bribes or an explanation. Do you understand me?"

By now, I'd mastered the ability to appear calm and normal while my brain was screaming inside, so I just nodded and said, "Yes, sir." Loki did the same.

"Good," he said with a smile. "Now then, step out, Mr. Laufeyson. I'd like to have a word with the love of your life for just a second."

Loki hesitated, sending me a worried glance, but stood. "Alright. Be brief. She and I have a flight to catch this afternoon."

He disappeared through the door. Clint locked the door and leaned his forearm against it, sighing. "Okay. Now that he's out of the room, is there something you'd like to tell me?"

"Sir?" I asked.

"I've been at this job for about eight years now. One of the most common things that can happen is a situation like yours where your boss backs you into a corner and tells you there is no way out other than to do what he wants. Granted, it doesn't always happen with insanely handsome Englishmen, but it can from time to time. Some of them are direct and treat it like a business transaction, but the ones that get under my skin are the guys who pretend like they need you. They manipulate you into cooperating by playing with your feelings, acting as if you're saving them, suddenly becoming everything a young lady could ever want them to be in order to get what they want."

He came around and leaned against his desk, fixing me with a steady, honest stare. "And no offense, but my instincts are telling me that's the case with you. That Laufeyson made you an offer you can't refuse. The man has a reputation for trickery and people say there is nothing he lusts for more than power. Having that kind of power over you would fit his profile."

I inhaled slowly. "What's your point, sir?"

"Is he blackmailing you into helping him?"

"No."

Clint crossed his arms. "No?"

"No," I confirmed. It wasn't entirely a lie. After all, we'd worked out a deal. I was being fairly compensated for our business transaction.

"Do you understand the gravity of what will happen if you fail this interview? The punishment shouldn't be taken lightly, miss. It's real. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

I reached inside me for all the bravery I had. "It's not what it looks like. We kept the relationship a secret for this exact reason. It could be seen as taboo for a young, pretty woman to be dating her high-powered, rich boss. He only appears that cruel and monstrous in public. It's a facade. He's actually very sweet and attentive to my needs outside of work."

I paused, waiting for lightning to strike, but it didn't, so I kept going. "I would be lost without him."

Clint eyed me and then shook his head. "Alright, miss. At least I gave it a shot."

He popped the door open for Loki. "I'm sending you both home with a packet. Study it. These are the questions I'm going to ask in addition to speaking with your relatives and going through your personal lives to corroborate your stories before I make my final decision. You're free to go for now."

"Thank you," I said, accepting the packet he offered to me.

We left the immigration office and headed towards the parking lot. I flipped through a few pages and snorted. "Well, at least half of the work is done. I know all this stuff about you. Now you just have to learn it about me and remember it."

Loki snatched the packet out of my hand and glanced over it. "Seriously? You expect me to believe you know all these details about me?"

I arched an eyebrow at him. "Loki, I run your entire life. Aside from your romantic endeavors, I know everything there is to know about you. Even then, I can probably guess the type of women you go after."

"Oh, really?" he deadpanned. "Please, be my guest."

I smirked. "Blondes. Probably named Tiffany or Candy. You like them tall and buxom, the faker the better, since you can pull off that whole alpha male dominance thing. Preferably with Daddy issues."

Loki narrowed his eyes at me, pretty much confirming that I'd hit the nail on the head. "Cute trick. You don't know me, sweetheart. I'm quite sure I can still surprise you."

I snorted as I reached for my car door. "Doubtful."

Loki pushed it shut and then stepped close, backing me up against the car. He flattened both hands on either side of me and leaned down over my face, the eye contact intense and heavy, his expression unreadable. My heart rate jumped into the thousands as I held still, unsure of his intentions. He finally smiled and reached into his pocket. Then he caught my hand and plopped a tiny velvet box into it.

"Open it."

I bristled, but obeyed. Inside sat a freaking two-carat diamond on a white-gold band that had diamonds over the top half of the shank. Something inside me quivered with a combination of fear and excitement. I hadn't given much thought to marriage in the last couple of years, not since a painful breakup in college. It was...perfect. Granted, the center diamond was too big for my taste, but the design of the ring was actually quite lovely.

However, I didn't want Loki to know all that. Instead, I just glanced up at him. "How much did this monstrosity cost?"

"Don't worry about it," he said, waving the comment aside. "If I'm forced to have you on my arm, you'd better at least look the bloody part. Besides, once this is over, I'll keep it for the future second Mrs. Laufeyson. Try it on. I had to guess your ring size, after all."

I plucked the ring free and slipped it on. "It fits."

"Good. Wear it. We have to keep up appearances." A smirk crawled over his lips then. "Speaking of which..."

I eyed him. "What?"

"At some point, I may be forced to kiss you. From what I gather, it's been a while for you. Perhaps we should practice."

"Practice kissing?" I said in disbelief. "You've got to be shitting me."

He shrugged. "You haven't been on a date since I hired you."

I glared at him. "And whose fault is that?"

He laughed that stupid, velvet laugh of his that made certain parts of my body tingle. "Yours, sweetheart. Manage your schedule better and you'd have time to let some lucky fool sweep your chimney every once in a while."

My hand lashed out to slap the hell out of him on instinct alone. He caught it. Damn. Stupid fast reflexes. He squeezed my wrist and gave me a warning look. "Ah, ah, ah. None of the rough stuff. Not yet, anyway."

"Not yet?" I sputtered incredulously.

"Oh, right, I hadn't gotten to that part yet." He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my palm. "If we're going to convince everyone that we're madly in love with each other, we should fuck."

My jaw unhooked from my head and hit the pavement. I shut my eyes for a second to keep from simply screeching at him in pure rage. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, has it been that long for you? Did you forget what that word means?"

I snatched my arm free. "I am not sleeping with you, Loki."

His smirk widened into a sharp, predatory grin. "I'm willing to bet that you will before this weekend is up. I'm very, very persuasive when I want to be."

He licked his lips. I had to force myself not to glance down at them. "You may not be my type, but I can assure you that I'll make it worth your while. We do have a couple of hours before our flight. Why don't I take you back to my place for some..."

Loki pressed his thigh up between my legs, driving a sudden gasp out of me. "...practice?"

I took a deep breath to regain my composure. "I am not going to sleep with you, Loki. If I have to kiss you to pull this off, so be it. But that's it. And we only kiss when I say and where I say."

"Where I say?" he purred. "Where else did you have in mind, sweetheart? I do have an awful fondness for that pretty little ass of yours--"

I yanked the car door open, hard. It hit him right in the solar plexus. He wheezed and crumpled over in pain. I smiled triumphantly as I slid inside my car. "See you at the airport, sweetheart."

I slammed my car door shut and drove off.

* * *

I'd never flown first class before. Despite the fact that Loki was rich and his credit limit was basically infinite, any time he sent me somewhere it was coach because he was an asshole. The extra room was a God-send, even though our flight wouldn't be terribly long. I just wish I didn't have to sit next to my stupid fake fiancee the whole time.

"Here," I said, hefting a thick binder at him. "I made a copy of all the questions so you can write in the answers I tell you during the flight."

"How thoughtful," Loki said in a droll tone. "Thank you, sweetheart."

He popped it open and withdrew his expensive fountain pen from his suit jacket. "Oh, well, at least I know one of these stupid questions. What's your favorite color? Blue."

"Blue is not my favorite color," I said, flipping open a book.

He shot a glance at me. "What? But you wear it all the time."

"Blue looks good on me. Blue is also your favorite color, and you're less of a dick when I wear it, which is saying something."

Loki scowled. "That's pathetic."

"No, it's tactical. I get my work done faster if you're not in a foul mood, so blue is what I wear most of the time to facilitate productivity."

He rolled his eyes. "Very well. What is your favorite color?"

"Green."

He scribbled it in. "Did you have any pets growing up?"

"A dog. His name was Sam."

"What kind of degree did you get in college?"

"Bachelor of Arts in English Literature."

"When was your first kiss?"

I glared at him. "That is not one of the questions."

Loki smirked at me. "Yes. I'm curious. You have such a massive stick up your butt that I imagine it wasn't until late high school, perhaps early college."

Heat flooded over my cheeks. "It's none of your business."

His eyes sparkled with mischief. "It is my business. I'm your future husband, am I not?"

"Fine. Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine."

"Fourteen," he supplied immediately. "I was a bit of a late bloomer. I was the short kid up until that age, and once I reached six feet, the girls finally took notice of me. And you?"

I sighed. "Sixteen. My breasts took forever to develop."

The bastard reached over and plucked at my collar to get a good look. "Are you certain they actually finished?"

I slapped his hand away. The man was a walking, talking harassment suit. "Shut up. You're not exactly a pinnacle of human perfection yourself, bird chest."

Loki frowned deeply at me. "I may not have the body of The Rock, but I have it where it counts, thank you very much."

"Whatever, Loki."

In the sudden lapse of tense silence, the woman sitting behind me leaned forward and said, "I have the number for a good marriage counselor if you need it."

It was going to be a long flight after all.

* * *

Atlanta was a hot town.

It was towards the end of summer, but that didn't mean a damn thing to the South; it still felt like someone had pointed a giant blowdryer at the state of Georgia. No one aside from a radio station actually called it Hotlanta, though. That was mainly non-Southerners.

The Hartsfield-Jackson airport was the size of a small town, so I had to pretty much guide Loki around until we reached the side where the rental cars were. After all, my grandmother's place wasn't actually in the city; it was a lakehouse further north. Loki agreed to drive while I gave directions. We'd been quizzing each other the whole flight and once we were done, we'd fallen to radio silence to let it all sink in on its own. I wasn't thrilled about being stuck in an enclosed space with him again, but I seldom got what I wanted these days.

"When's the last time you were up here?" Loki asked about half an hour into the drive.

"My eighteenth birthday," I said, eyes closed, feet up on the dashboard. I had longish legs and the SUV was roomy, but I liked having them elevated.

"So a while, then. Do you enjoy it?"

"It's a lakehouse. What's not to enjoy?"

"True. Will you inherit it someday?"

I shrugged. "Not sure. I think my parents would get better use out of it anyway. If my grandma left it to me, I'd probably hole up in there like some crazed Unabomber type and never come back out."

Loki snorted. "That does sound like something you'd do. You could write quite a few novels with a nice lakehouse all to yourself. I doubt you'd have a husband rattling around with you in there."

"Why is that?"

"You strike me as the independent type."

"Why? Because I shot down your poorly presented offer for sex?"

He scoffed. "That just proves you have poor taste in men. No, it doesn't seem apparent to me that you're in a rush to get married. Our arrangement aside, I think you won't until you're in your forties, if at all."

I peeked at him from underneath my eyelashes. His eyes were on the road, his posture relaxed with one hand on the wheel and the other leaning on the arm rest behind the gear shift. His expression was calm and conversational. He seemed almost human, not like his usual Devil persona. The Devil on vacation.

"What about you?" I said, shutting my eye again. "Ever think you'll do the old ball and chain for real someday?"

"Doubtful," he said. "But possible."

"Why's that?"

"I too value my independence."

"Is that why you don't talk to your family?"

Silence. I glanced at him. Tension reverberated down his arms, shoulders, and upper torso. His hand flexed on the wheel.

I held up my hands. "Okay, sore subject. But my family will ask. You might want to rehearse your answer."

"We'll burn that bridge when we get to it," he groused.

"And I thought I had problems."

He flicked his gaze over to me. "What problems?"

I dragged both hands down my face and sighed. "I missed Thanksgiving and Christmas last year. My dad called on New Years and laid into me. This'll be the first time we've spoken since then."

"Bloody hell," Loki said.

"Yeah. I'll try to minimize the dirty laundry, but know that he's probably not going to like you one bit. He used to tell me to quit on a weekly basis."

"And what about your mother?"

"On a daily basis."

He rolled his eyes. "I meant how is your relationship with her?"

"Good. Comfortable. She intercedes when my dad acts too much like an asshole."

He blew out a breath. "Boy, what have I gotten myself into?"

"It was your idea, sweetheart."

"That it was."

Finally, we rolled up the hill and around the corner towards the long driveway of the house. I spotted several cars lining both side and groaned. "Oh no."

"What?"

"They've turned my homecoming into a party," I grumbled. "I told my mother not to do this and she didn't listen. This is going to get awkward fast. Just try to follow my lead and suppress your more douche-tastic impulses."

Loki gave me a knife-edged smile. "It's going to be a miracle if I don't strangle you and dump your body in the woods."

I smiled sweetly back at him. "Try it. I grew up here. You think I don't know how to get rid of you without anyone finding your body? There are bears, you know."

Loki parked the car and leered at me over his expensive sunglasses. "I like it when you threaten me, sweetheart. Gets my blood pumping southward in a hurry."

I didn't bother dignifying him with a response; I just climbed out of the car as he laughed to himself. He took my bags out of the trunk and followed me up hill towards the lakehouse.

It was beautiful, honestly--two stories with a fully furnished basement. At capacity, at least ten people could stay comfortably in it. The whole thing had been done with a beautiful wooden finish and it had been in my family for decades, getting updated every five or so years with new furniture and decorations. There were relatives on the porch drinking lemonade who greeted us with hugs and dug their elbows into my side once they got a look at my new beau.

To my utter surprise, Loki not only behaved himself, but became a completely different person within a few seconds of being around my family. He was gracious, polite, and downright charming. I thought my eyes would bug out of my head seeing it firsthand. He could turn it on like a switch, apparently.

After the polite small talk, we stepped inside. I sighed happily as the cold air hit my overheated skin and instructed Loki to leave my bags by the foyer until my family decided what room I'd be staying in this time around.

"Ready?" I muttered under my breath as he tucked his sunglasses into his suit jacket.

"Always, sweetheart," he said. "Let's go, chop chop."

He gave my ass a slap and I resisted the urge to strangle him to death with his tie. We headed into the kitchen and found my mom.

My mother looked exactly like me, except her hair was a shade or two darker and she had more curves to her. A sunny smile leapt across her mouth and she squealed, wrapping me in a huge, warm hug as soon as my sandals hit the doorjamb. "There she is! Oh, I've missed you so much, sweetheart!"

I didn't have to pretend, for once. I hugged her back with plenty of enthusiasm. "Me too, Mom. You look great."

She pulled back and held out my arms. "So do you! Are you getting enough rest?"

"Not hardly, but we both know who to blame for that." I cleared my throat and touched Loki's arm. "Well, here's the surprise that I mentioned over the phone. This is Loki Laufeyson."

My mother's jaw dropped. "You...wait, your boss is the new boyfriend?"

"Yes," I said, trying not to clench my jaw. "Surprise!"

Loki offered his hand. "It is a pleasure and a delight to meet you, ma'am."

My mom accepted his hand and shook it, but she still kept staring at him in shock. "Uh, right, yes. Well, that's certainly an interesting turn of events."

"It gets better," I said, taking a deep breath. I held out my left hand. "Ta-da?"

My mother brought both hands up to her face, covering her mouth. "Baby, you're getting _married?_ "

"He proposed the night before last and oof--" My mother crushed me in a hug, squealing again.

"This is wonderful! Oh, come on, both of you!"

She grabbed our hands and dragged us with titanic strength into the den where most people had congregated. My grandma sat in her favorite chair by the fireplace, a glass of wine in her hand, looking as radiant and wonderful as always.

"Everyone," my mother announced, and a hush fell over the crowd. "My daughter has something to tell you."

She gestured to me and stepped to one side. All eyes fell on me. I broke out in cold sweat immediately. I cleared my throat of the lump in it and tried to speak, but it was hard.

Until Loki reached down and slipped my fingers between his own.

I closed my hand around his and managed to pip up at last. "Everyone, this is Loki Laufeyson...my fiance."

Dead silence, at first. Then everyone cheered and clapped for us. My relatives crowded us immediately with hugs and handshakes, insisting that I show them the engagement ring. They loved it.

My grandma made her way through the throng of people and hugged me tightly. "I can't believe it, my little junebug. How did you manage to keep this a secret for so long?"

"Oh, you know," I laughed nervously. "It's just one of those things."

My grandma hugged Loki next and then stepped back, admiring him. "God knows how you managed to keep your mouth shut about him. Boy, he's a catch."

Loki chuckled and I just shook my head. "Don't encourage him."

"Well, it's no wonder you call him the Devil," she mused. "The Devil was the most beautiful angel in heaven."

Loki glanced at me, lifting an eyebrow. "The Devil, eh?"

I cleared my throat again, blushing. "That may or may not be your contact name in my phone."

Loki slipped his arm around my back. "I like that. This is a rather sinful relationship, is it not?"

I blushed harder. What a piece of work.

"Sounds about right," a deep voice said from behind me. I turned to see my father lurking in the doorway by the stairs, a scotch in one hand, his eyes intently fixed on Loki with definite menace. To his credit, Loki didn't flinch or waver. He offered his hand to my father with a bright smile.

"Ah, there's just the man I've been looking for. Good to meet you, sir."

My father stared at his hand for a moment and then slowly took it, shaking once and very hard. He let go and kissed my forehead. "Welcome home, princess. Congratulations. Should I start calling you Persephone from now on?"

I crossed my arms. "I'd rather you didn't."

"Mm," he grunted. "So this is why you didn't come home for the holidays. He's been monopolizing your time in and out of the office."

Anger welled up inside my chest. I counted to three before answering. "That's one way to describe it."

A smirk touched my father's lips. "So does marrying your boss mean you get a promotion or what?"

"Hey," my mother said sharply. "None of that behavior, mister."

My father shrugged. "It was an honest question."

My mother glared and then smiled at Loki. "Well, now that the good news is out, why don't we have a little toast? Would you like to do the honors, Mom?"

"Absolutely!" My grandma chirped, retrieving her glass of wine. She tapped it with a fork to get everyone's attention again. "Everyone, we'd like to propose a toast to our newly engaged couple. Raise your glasses."

Loki grabbed wine for the two of us and we lifted them. "To my granddaughter and Loki's eternal happiness. May life never stop surprising you."

"Believe me," Loki muttered. "It won't."

I nodded sympathetically as we all clinked glasses and took a sip.

"Now then," my grandma said with mischief in her gaze. "I think we've earned a little show of affection. How about you give your future bride a little kiss?"

"Oh, no," I said, holding my hands up in supplication, my cheeks flaming. "I-I just had Funyuns in the car and my breath is ripe right now and--"

"Stop it," she chided. "He's going to be your husband. He doesn't care about a thing like that. Come on, kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

She started chanting, and the rest of the room quickly followed. I buried my face in my hands and wished for a hole in the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"Well, sweetheart," Loki purred, wrapping his long fingers around my wrists and lowering my hands. I got a pretty good look at the mad twinkle in his eyes as he leaned down over my face. "Give the people what they want."

Before I could say anything, he kissed me.

I screwed my eyes shut and braced for a terribly awkward sensation.

Only it wasn't.

Loki's lips were soft and cool from sipping the cold wine, flavored with sweetness and bitterness. He didn't try to ravage me. He didn't use his tongue. He just kissed me with gentle patience, waiting for me to relax against him. My own lips puckered a bit and trapped his upper lip for a second. Mm. Suddenly, I didn't mind it so much.

Loki drew back first, licking his lips, staring at me as if seeing me for the first time. We were both breathing slightly harder than we had before the kiss. My brain felt like scrambled eggs. Well, Loki was a lot of things, but apparently 'bad kisser' wasn't one of them.

Uh-oh.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Loki settle in for the night and things get even more complicated.

We spent the rest of the day hobnobbing with my relatives and preparing the big party for my grandma's birthday tomorrow. The constant barrage of questions and explaining things kept my mind off the kiss, thankfully. After dinner, some of my relatives left for their hotels and my mother walked me downstairs to the basement. I'd been given a room in the corner, to my surprise, which was one of the bigger and more comfortable rooms than those upstairs. It had an enormous four-poster bed with an ottoman at the foot to help any short people up onto the high mattress. There was a view of the lake through the glass doors leading to the backyard and a bathroom attached as well as a walk-in closet.

"Well, what do you think?" Mom asked, spreading her hands as she stood on the rug.

"Marvelous," Loki said. "It's breathtaking. I envy you."

She adopted a confused look. "Why? This is where you'll be staying too."

Both of us froze. "Um, what?"

"Loki is going to be your husband. It's improper for him to stay at a hotel since we'll only get to see him for a few days before you fly back to New York. He's staying here with us."

"T-That's fine, but why is he staying in my room?" I asked. "Aren't you afraid he'll--we'll--"

My mom waved the comment aside. "Oh, please, we're all adults here, honey. That's why I gave you the room in the corner. Sound proof."

I blushed so hard I thought my head would explode. " _Mom_."

"You are so shy sometimes," she said, shaking her head. "Anyway, good night, my darlings. We'll see you bright and early for breakfast."

She gave us both hugs and shut the door behind her. I stared at the bed as if it were a monster about to devour me in one bite. Oh boy.

"Shall I sleep on the floor, then?" Loki asked, sounding too tired to complain for once.

"Oh yeah." I turned down the bed and tossed him a few pillows as well as an extra blanket from the closet. He went to the car and got his luggage out of the trunk. I was unzipping my suitcase when he started unbuttoning his shirt.

"What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Undressing. Is that not clear?"

"Do that in the bathroom. I don't want to see you in your underwear."

Loki smirked. "Just who do you think you're fooling exactly?"

"Bite me."

He let out a little hungry growl. "If only you'd let me."

I threw my shoe at his head and he laughed as he continued unbuttoning the dress shirt. "Has it been that long since you've seen a man shirtless? I promise it won't scar you for life. We need to get comfortable around each other if we're going to pull this off."

I grumbled insults under my breath and focused on the suitcase again as I drew my night clothing out to prepare for a shower. My peripheral vision treated me to the sight of his chest. I'd been wrong, unfortunately. Loki was indeed slender, but his limbs were all long and defined with muscle. He had a six pack that you could probably grate cheese on if you wanted to, which I definitely did not. He wore boxers beneath his slacks. They looked light and soft and were a pale green watercolor pattern. He walked past me and put his watch on the nightstand. His thigh brushed my backside, and I couldn't tell if it was on purpose or not, but my entire body broke out in goosebumps.

"Don't take too long in the shower or I'll come get you," he said, leering at me again.

"You'll die trying if you do," I snapped, tossing my hair over one shoulder as I stood and headed for the bathroom. I slammed the door shut and fired up the shower.

"Stupid jerk," I muttered as I lathered up my loofa. "Horny bastard. Should have said no."

I deliberately took my time cleaning off. He wouldn't have the balls to barge in here, at least I didn't think so. Part of his whole persona was the bad boy alpha thing. He wouldn't actually cross a line into harassment; he'd just tiptoe near it just to get on my nerves. He seemed to love winding me up.

My mind wandered back to the kiss no matter how many times I tried to push it away. Alright, fine, it was a good kiss. I hadn't expected it to be that good. Maybe it had been a while since an attractive man touched me and my libido didn't mind Loki so much. He was a colossal asshole, but he was certainly desirable in spite of it. Didn't mean a damn thing. I'd get this shit over with, get my book published, and be out of his control at long last. He seemed to take joy in exerting power over me, just as Clint had said. He really made me wonder if he was the God of Mischief of his namesake sometimes.

Loki pounded on the door. "If you use up all the hot water, I'm going to spank you, woman."

"Fuck off," I snarled. "I'm almost done, you prima donna."

I did a final scrubbing with some cucumber melon body wash to get my skin nice and glowing--we'd have to take a zillion pictures tomorrow, after all--and then wrenched the door open. My PJs were simple enough: just a large t-shirt and basketball shorts for girls. It left a lot of bare leg out, but hey, it was hot in Georgia and I didn't want night sweats.

Loki stood there with an impatient look, but it swiftly went away once he caught sight of my bare legs. He stared for a moment or two, dragging his gaze up my body, and then a simmering smirk found his lips. "Oh my. So this is what you look like with your hair down. Not bad, sweetheart."

"Piss off." I shoved past him and tucked the old clothes into the side of my suitcase. I felt his eyes on me as I climbed into bed and flopped down, flicking off the light. He muttered something uncharitable about me under his breath and then shut himself inside the bathroom. I closed my eyes and willed myself to relax enough to sleep instead of thinking about the infuriating man sharing my room.

A while later, the bathroom door opened and Loki shuffled out. I could smell Old Spice and Irish Spring deodorant as he brushed past the bed to put his things away. I pretended to be asleep already. Movement. Then, his sultry voice right next to my ear.

"I sleep in the nude. Is that going to bother you?"

"Keep your damn boxers on or I'll castrate you."

Loki chuckled. "You're so predictable."

He kissed my forehead. "Good night."

It took every ounce of my will power not to gawk as he moved away and settled onto the floor. He was just messing with my head again. _Don't pay him any mind. Sleep, woman. Just sleep._

Maybe things would actually make sense in the morning.

* * *

Loki shook me awake.

"Someone's at the door."

"Wha?" I mumbled sleepily, rolling over onto my side. "Whuzzat?"

"Someone is knocking on the door," he hissed. "I have to get in bed with you. Scoot over."

"What are you--" This time, I actually heard the knocking. Loki's lanky arms scooped me up all of the sudden and plopped me on the other side of the mattress as he crawled onto it and shimmied beneath the covers. He flipped me away from him so that he was spooning me and propped his head up on one hand before calling out to our guest.

"Come in!"

"Good morning!" my mom cooed as she opened the door. "How'd you sleep, sweeties?"

"Like kittens," Loki lied, rubbing my shoulder. "All snuggly and warm. Thank you for asking."

"Wonderful. Well, breakfast is ready, so please come join us. We're all waiting for you." She waved again and left.

Loki collapsed back on the bed with a sigh. "That was far too close."

"No shit," I said, sliding his arm from around my waist. I pushed up on one arm, but we were still chest-to-back, and so I stopped halfway there. "What is _that?_ "

"My, has it truly been so long for you that you don't know what a cock is any longer?" the insufferable bastard said dryly.

I glared at him over my shoulder. "Point it somewhere else. Now."

"Don't bloody flatter yourself," he said, tossing his long legs over the side of the bed. "I'm a healthy human male. This is how it always is in the morning. It'll take a little more than seeing your disheveled visage to get me going for real."

"What?" I said as I slid off the bed. "Can't get it up unless I'm naked? Sounds like a waning libido to me."

He caught me before I could reach the bathroom, one hand against my tummy, his mouth near my ear, the heat of his chest pressing into my back. "Well, why don't we test out that theory, sweetheart? After all, your mother said this is the soundproofed room."

"Ha," I scoffed. "You couldn't get me to scream if your life depended on it."

"Really? Is that why you melted into a little puddle when I kissed you yesterday?"

"Hardly. That was a peck on the lips. Nothing sexy about it."

"Then shall we try again?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"I wouldn't be the only one." He turned me around and linked his fingers over the small of my back, cradling me against his bare chest, his semi-hard cock nudging between my thighs. The mocking expression on his face said he dared me to get offended or intimidated. I didn't budge. He wasn't about to win this one.

"The thing about being the Devil," Loki drawled. "Is that I know a woman's true desires. All of this venom that you loose on me now that you have what you want and I can't push you around is merely something you use to try and throw me off. But I know what you really want, sweetheart."

"Oh, this I've got to hear."

He let out a low, private chuckle that made my stomach tighten. "To be fucked. To be properly, thoroughly fucked within an inch of your life. To release all that tension you carry in this pretty little body in a night of utterly carnal abandon. To be completely dominated so that the pent up aggression and frustration you feel just disappears forever. And I am more than happy to oblige, but you're going to have to ask for it. Beg for it, even."

"Wow," I murmured. "So you're an asshole and delusional. Impressive."

"Pretend if you must. Deny it if you must. Either way, you'll come to me, sweetheart." He leaned in and kissed one side of my throat. "And I will fulfill you in ways you simply cannot imagine."

He kissed the other side of my throat. "Consider it the real payment for services rendered."

"You do realize that makes you sound like a whore, right?"

He shrugged. "So be it. It doesn't make it any less true."

"I think reading all those trashy romance novels is getting to you. I'm not going to fall for this, Loki."

A serpentine smile stretched those lips. "You will. And I will be more than happy to catch you."

He let me go and strode into the bathroom with a confident, languorous gait. I didn't stare at his ass as he left. I swear I didn't.

Dammit.

* * *

Breakfast was delicious--a gigantic buffet courtesy of the relatives who had stayed overnight. I gorged myself without hesitation, since it had been ages since I'd had the time for a real breakfast thanks to Loki's unforgivable hours. I think even the Devil himself was a little taken aback by how I went HAM on the food. As stressful as our current situation was, it felt nice to be among my family again. They were mostly extroverted people, but fun to be around and experience. Aside from my father, they didn't put unnecessary pressure on me and most of them didn't have any true vices.

For all his faults, Loki performed amazingly well fitting in. He engaged several family members in spirited conversations about literature, pop culture, movies, and theater. He also kept up the engagement facade as if it were completely natural to him; kissing my temple before he got up to get more food or coffee, asking me if I wanted something else, stretching his arm out over the back of my chair as he chatted. In some parallel universe, maybe he'd actually be a decent husband.

When we'd all finished, everyone split up for various activities. There were several little ones who came to visit, so my cousins took them to the treehouse to play. Some of the adults curled up on the couch to watch football. I shooed Loki off to join the men watching football and followed my mother into the kitchen to prep for my grandma's dinner tonight.

"So," my mother said as we stood at the sink, cleaning the collard greens. "Exactly when did you transition from hating his guts to being in love?"

"Oh, don't worry, I still hate him," I said frankly. "I just hate him less."

She giggled. "You're such a romantic."

"What can I say? It's in my blood." I kept cleaning the greens. "But really, it's one of those things where the thing that drove me crazy about him is the thing that made him attractive to me."

"And just what is that?"

I thought about what sounded like a good story, and what sounded natural to me if I ever did fall in love. "He challenges me. He keeps me engaged. He keeps me guessing. He surprises me."

She nodded. "I see. I didn't think you'd fall in love in only a year, though. Must've been some hell of a romance."

"Oh, it's a story for the ages, alright. Beauty and the Beast. Hades and Persephone."

"Well, I'm just glad he's made you so happy. We really have missed you around here. Maybe now that you're openly together, he'll finally let you come see us for holidays."

"I'll try my best to persuade him."

I heard boots approaching from behind and glanced over my shoulder. Then I did a double take and dropped the handful of greens right onto the floor by accident.

There stood a man a couple inches over six feet tall, with golden-brown hair and cornflower blue eyes. He had soft, full lips, a perfect square chin, and the most gorgeously sculpted abs and chest tapering down to a narrow waist and thick thighs. He had a large present between his hands and wore a white t-shirt, jeans, and boots. His jaw hung open as he stared at me with the same look of utter shock.

"Steve?" I whispered.

My ex-boyfriend smiled at me then. "Hey, stranger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT A TWEEST.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your ex-boyfriend Steve Rogers has appeared and accidentally thrown quite the monkey wrench into your plans.

"Oh my God," I said once I'd scooped up the fallen collard greens, rinsed, and dried my hands. "Steve, what are you doing here?"

He hefted the present a bit. "I got an invitation. Wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm sorry. I thought you weren't going to be here, with your job and all."

Steve set the present on the counter and gave me a little once over, his smile still as warm and wonderful as honey in a cup of hot tea. "You look good."

He opened his arms and before I knew it, I was hugging him. I buried my nose in his shirt and closed my eyes as all the old, familiar feelings gushed up from wherever the hell I'd been hiding them. He still smelled like mild, cheap cologne and leather and aftershave. I remembered how his body felt, how he always ran a little hot, how he gave the best hugs because he knew not to hold too tightly but to just let my curves rest along the lines of his body. Dammit. I'd missed him.

Naturally, this was the instant Loki waltzed into the kitchen.

Shit.

I wasn't sure what expression I had on my face--maybe something wistful and longing--because Loki narrowed his eyes and then cleared his throat. "Hi. I don't believe we've met."

I slid out of Steve's embrace and brushed my hair behind my ear, a nervous habit, avoiding Loki's very hot, very accusatory gaze. "Um, this is Steve Rogers. He's a lawyer. He's been a family friend for years."

"Nice to meet you," Steve said, offering his hand. "And you are?"

"Loki Laufeyson," he replied, and I could hear the heat underneath his words. "I'm her fiance."

Steve stiffened next to me. "Oh."

He shook his head a bit. "Wow, congratulations. This must've been a big surprise, huh?"

"Huge," my mother said. "Follow me, dear, I'll show you where we put the presents."

"Right. Nice to meet you, Loki. Again, congratulations to you both." He sent me another smile, this one sadder than the others, and followed my mom out of the air practically vibrating with awkward static. I breathed for the first time in what felt like forever and turned back to the sink.

"And just exactly what kind of a friend hugs you like that?" Loki asked as he stalked closer to me.

"He and I grew up together," I said. "He's a childhood friend. We went to the same college."

Loki's huge, pale hands settled against the counter on either side of me, trapping me between his arms. "I see. And just what happened in college?"

"None of your business, Loki."

"Wrong," he growled. "Perhaps it's not on the list of questions in the binder, but I will be expected to know your ex-lovers in number, at the very least. Now tell me the truth. Is that man your ex?"

I counted to three. "Yes."

His fingers tightened over the rim of the sink. "And do you still have feelings for him?"

"No. We broke up about three years ago. Happy?"

"I'll be happy when he goes home. It's hard enough holding this sham of an engagement together without some male model traipsing around making eyes at you."

I whirled then and jabbed a finger in his chest. "Look, you need to back off. I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize our arrangement. Lest you forget, I'm the one who could go to jail whereas you just get deported, so don't act like I'm taking this shit lightly. You've been a selfish dick from start to finish and you're making me hate you more than I already do with every single second we spend together, so why don't you just piss off for a while and leave me alone?"

The words had rushed out of me like a fountain of scalding hot water. I probably shouldn't have said that to him, but the pressure was starting to get to me. It was bad enough pretending to be okay around the people who loved me when I was lying through my teeth. I didn't need Loki making accusations on top of that.

Loki straightened a bit. "Fine. I'll see you at lunch."

He turned on his heel and marched out. I heard the front door open and close. Good. Maybe he'd go for a drive and cool down his temper. I returned to work for a while before I heard heavy footsteps.

"Where's Hades?" my dad asked in a feigned casual tone.

"Went for a drive," I said.

"Ah. The mountain air too thin for him?"

"Maybe. It's kind of stressful going somewhere new and being around people you don't know."

"And whose fault is that? You could've brought him down for the holidays and introduced him then instead of springing this on us now."

I gritted my teeth. _Don't blow up at him. Not now. Granny would be crushed if you got into another fight._ "I wasn't trying to spring this on any of you. It just happened."

"Uh-huh," my dad grunted. "And you're sure this sudden engagement has nothing to do with you wanting your book published?"

"That's it." I tore off the apron and tossed it on the counter, stalking away from him.

"Young lady, don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you--"

"You're not talking to me, Dad," I snarled back. "You're talking _at_ me, just like you always do."

I left the house and walked down the hill to the lakefront. Cool water lapped at the small dock--a soothing sound. It was a good ways from the house, so for a little while, I had it all to myself. I plopped down and dangled my legs over the edge, staring at my reflection.

About fifteen minutes later, I heard another set of footsteps. The wood creaked under the weight of a body next to me.

"Hey," Steve said. "You okay, stranger?"

I shook my head a bit. "Fine."

He bumped my shoulder with his. "Come on. Talk to me. You wouldn't be out here all alone if something wasn't bothering you."

I didn't say anything. Steve stared out at the lake, watching someone across the way canoeing out towards the other side. "Your dad on you about the fiance?"

I sighed. Steve was way too perceptive. "Of course he is."

"He means well, but the man has no tact," Steve said sagely. "He's kind of like a guard dog when it comes to you. On his own, he's nice, but threaten what he loves and he turns ferocious."

"If you're taking his side, I'm gonna push you off this dock right now."

Steve chuckled. "No, I'm not. I'm just saying he acts like a jerk because he worries about you. Especially since, according to your family, you hated this guy's guts for the better part of a year and then show up engaged to him."

I shrugged. "Life is weird like that."

"I know." He reached over and picked my hand up. My pulse skyrocketed until I realized he was examining my ring.

"Is this rock big enough for you?"

I laughed. "Yeah, Loki is very 'go big or go home.' You know me. I'd have gone for something smaller."

"It is extremely flashy. I wouldn't wear that if you go downtown."

"Hell no. This thing's getting locked up as soon as I'm done doing my Miss America impressions."

Steve gently placed my hand back on my thigh. "So what was it about him that made you finally take the plunge?"

"The sex," I deadpanned.

Steve chuckled. "Ah, of course. Perfectly good reason to marry someone. It's funny. I never pictured you with some rich corporate type guy."

Again, my heart imitated a hummingbird's wings. "Oh? Who did you picture me with?"

He gave me that slightly sad winsome smile again. "Maybe someone a little more down home. He seems high maintenance, your Loki. I just hope he's worth the trouble."

I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder. "God, me too."

Steve wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kissed my forehead. "Missed you."

"I know," I whispered. "Missed you too."

* * *

Lunch would be ready around one o'clock, so I headed back to my room to freshen up a little. Loki was already there, finishing up a phone call. I expected some kind of insult or tease, but didn't get it. He watched me brush out my hair for a while before he spoke in a quiet, reserved voice that I had never heard before.

"I'm sorry."

I dropped the freaking brush.

I stared at him. "W-What did you just say?"

"I am sorry," Loki repeated, resting his forearms on his knees and linking his fingers. "You were right. I have been a selfish prick this entire time. I have no excuse for myself."

Awkward silence. I licked my lips and stooped to pick up the brush with slightly shaking fingers. "Oh. Um. Thank you."

"May I tell you something?"

I thought it over and eventually nodded. Loki ran a hand through his raven locks. "The reason I treated you so poorly is simply because I didn't want you to realize how much power you hold over me."

I frowned. "Power?"

"Yes. Power. Think about it. Before you came aboard, I was drowning in work and constantly scrambling to get things scheduled and executed on time. It didn't even take you ninety days to get all the backlog done and the entire office running smoothly. You were right before when you said that you practically run my entire life. Therefore, I realized you were valuable to me. Vital, in fact. So I made a conscious decision to put you down at every single turn so that you would think I could replace you with anyone at any time, and so you wouldn't try to take advantage of me. If I lost you, it would take months to get everything back on track. It was immature and I shouldn't have treated you that way, and for that, I apologize."

Blushing didn't begin to cover it. My face felt as if it had gone supernova. I never in a million years thought I'd hear the freaking Devil compliment my work and admit to wrongdoing. I cleared my throat a few times and tugged at my t-shirt, unable to meet his gaze. "T-Thank you. I appreciate your apology as well as your honesty."

I pored over what he'd said again. "What about all the sexual harassment?"

Loki smirked. "That was sincere. You are a pretty girl, after all. I enjoy tormenting you simply because your reactions are always hilarious."

I glared. "Glad I could amuse you. Does that mean you'll stop calling me sweetheart?"

"Not by a long stretch, I'm afraid," he said as he stood up. "Although it began because your feminism annoyed me when we first met, I actually do consider you to be an actual sweetheart."

He tugged at a loose curl near my neck, smiling down at me in a fashion I dared to call fond. "Women like you are rare. Thus, I can assure you that from this point on, I will behave like a gentleman instead of needling you out of fear and resentment. Fair enough?"

I examined him, trying to see if he was wearing another mask or if he was for real this time. My gut told me he was being serious. My gut also reminded me of how goddamn handsome he was standing like three inches away and that there was a bed right behind us and no one could hear us outside of this room. I told my gut to shut the hell up.

"Fair enough. Now, about the harassment. You planning on stopping that any time soon?"

"Perhaps if I received an incentive."

"Such as?"

He looped my hair around his pointer finger. "I want a do over of our first kiss."

"When pigs fly," I scoffed. "Just because you've agreed to stop being a bastard doesn't mean I'm going to fall for your seduction attempts."

"We've already established that I won't do anything to you unless you ask me to," he said. "This is different. I want to kiss you for real."

"Why?"

"Because I want to kiss you. Do I need a reason?"

I crossed my arms. "Loki, do you even like me as a person?"

"I find you fascinating," he whispered. "Does that answer your question?"

I swallowed hard. Oh. Hadn't expected him to say that either. I desperately sifted through my mostly stunned brain for something else instead. "And you're not just turning over a new leaf because you're scared I'm going to go after my ex?"

"I trust you. And I will trust you more if you kiss me."

I bit my lower lip, listening to my heart thrum frantically in my ears. "It won't change anything."

"Correct."

I eyed him. "No tricks?"

"No tricks."

Bad idea. Such a bad idea. But I had to admit...I was curious.

I sighed. "Fine."

As soon as the word left my mouth, Loki swept me up in his arms and then sat down on the ottoman with me astride his lap. I squeaked in alarm and wrapped my arms around his neck for balance, adrenaline pumping, my breathing shallow. Loki gave me a slow smile that melted my insides and then pulled me down until our lips met.

Oh, heavenly father, the son, and the holy ghost.

Kissing him in front of my demanding family had locked up my limbs and made me too nervous to concentrate on the feel of his lips on mine. Now, without the pressure and distractions, I could feel his mouth on mine this time. His lips were so soft. Rose petal soft. His thick lashes brushed my cheeks, tickling my skin, and he pushed my shirt up over my jeans until his fingertips ran along my sides. I shuddered and sank into his embrace as if he'd hit a switch of some sort. My legs felt weaker by the second until I felt my hips make contact with his pelvis. He was already hard just from kissing me once, for God's sake.

Loki hummed a little and drew his head back, his pupils huge, those seawater eyes cloudy with lust. Well, he kept his word. He'd said a kiss. Meaning one.

"Exquisite," he whispered. "More?"

 _No_ , said my brain in a firm, rational voice. "Yes."

_Idiot._

Loki captured my lips again. Pleasure soaked my skin from head to toe. Oh, it had been way too long since I'd done this and I wanted it to last longer. I wound my fingers into his thick hair and sucked his tongue into my mouth. Mm, he tasted like cinnamon and scotch. He groaned and bit my lip, lowering his hands to my thighs and rocking slowly up into me. The delicious friction drew a muffled moan from me. Loki swallowed it and let his hands drift towards my ass. Mm, if he touched me there, I wasn't sure I could resist much longer.

Thank God, someone knocked on the door and called out, "lunch time!"

Panting, I tilted my head to one side. "Okay, we'll be there in a second."

Loki licked his lips and lowered his lids over those lust-glazed eyes. I had to say something to break the tension. "Hungry?"

He smirked up at me and smacked my ass with both hands before he let me go. "Ravenous."

Like breakfast, lunch was positively divine. I murdered about three plates of food and then settled into my seat to listen to Loki and my family chit-chat. Once everyone had eaten, my grandma stood at the head of the table and gathered our attention once more.

"Everyone, it's been such a wonderful birthday so far," she said. "I love you all and I'm so glad to be with you on this day. I do have to break with tradition and tell you my wish for today before I even get my birthday cake."

She opened her arms in the direction of Loki and me. "I'd like my beautiful granddaughter and her fiance to get married up here at our lakehouse tomorrow."

Holy. Fucking. _Shit._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your crafty grandmother guilts you and Loki into holding a wedding ceremony tomorrow at the lakehouse. Repercussions abound.

"Grandma," I protested with as much care and gentleness as possible amongst my stunned relatives and future husband. "No, that's not something we should do on your birthday weekend. This is about you, not me. We're not trying to steal your thunder."

My grandmother winked at me. "Child, my whole life is thunder. You can't possibly steal it."

"Be that as it may," Loki jumped in with the same cautious tone. "It would be far too difficult to coordinate a whole wedding in just one day. There are so many things we'd have to organize, to say nothing of those who we want to be at our wedding who wouldn't be able to make it with such short notice."

"Nonsense! My niece is a wedding planner and we're really just talking about a small ceremony among family. You can always do a larger one where we invite your family and friends. We could set up a lovely little decoration for you on the dock overlooking the lake and you can get married at sunset, since it's nothing short of beautiful. All we'd really need is a tent, some chairs, food, and music and we'd be all set."

She paused and her tone softened. "Really, dear. You're my granddaughter. I've already had 89 birthdays and I don't how many more of them I'll get, so I'd like to see you wed before my time on this earth is over."

Oh no. Now she'd done it. She'd said the words that drove the stake straight through the heart of every single person present.

I glanced at Loki, who looked equally helpless. He gripped my hand and squeezed gently. I tried not to sound miserable as I turned and smiled at my grandmother.

"Okay. Let's make it happen."

"Oh, I'm so excited!" Grandma swept by and hugged the both of us. "This is going to be so beautiful. Come along, Carrie, let's get to work! Everyone else, we'll come to you to let you know what to do to prepare. See you all back here for dinner tonight."

My family dispersed, except for me and Loki. I leaned my head back on the chair and shut my eyes. " _Fuck._ "

"Yes," Loki said, mirroring me. "Fuck indeed."

"I'm going to hell. I'm going to hell for doing this to her and to my family."

"Well, you are marrying the Devil. Perhaps it's appropriate."

I almost smiled. Loki rubbed his thumb over my knuckles. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Probably not, no. But I can try to be. I just..." My throat tightened. "Need a minute."

"If you were trying to give me a cue to exit, forget it. I'm not leaving you like this."

I tilted my head to one side, my lips pulling up at the corners in a weary smile. "You're not going soft on me, are you, Lord of Darkness?"

Loki lifted my hand enough to kiss the back of it, his blue-green eyes gleaming. "Never."

He stood and tugged me to my feet. "Come, my bride. I think I have an idea of how to cheer you up."

Loki dragged me across the street from our lakehouse where there was a small park and recreation center. My itty bitty cousins had started a game of kickball in the field, so we plopped down together on one of my aunt's picnic blankets and watched them play, sipping sweet tea the whole time.

Loki actually behaved himself. He asked me the names of my aunts and uncles and nieces and nephews, his arm around my shoulders, leaning me into him but not in a skeezy way. I found a comfy spot with my head underneath his chin and breathed out all of my stress for a while. Sometimes people underestimated the freedom granted by simple touch and steady contact. There was something very reassuring in touching someone, especially if you cared about them or were close to them. Loki and I weren't close and we only barely cared about each other, but it did wonders for my mood anyway.

The kickball game wrapped up and the little ones headed to go play in the lake. Loki tipped over onto his back and put his head in my lap. He slipped an arm around me and stroked my spine, his eyes closed, listening to the wind rustling the grass. I watched the clouds crawl across the sky and let the sun bathe my skin for a while. Neither of us said a word for close to an hour. I was fine with that.

He sighed. "They'll be looking for us soon, I imagine. We should probably head back."

"Probably," I agreed.

He caught my wrist and kissed my palm before standing up. He tugged me to my feet and led me back towards the house, my hand still wrapped in his. I tried my best not to blush furiously. He'd been nicer to me in the last three hours than he had the entire year I'd known him. I kept expecting to wake up or something.

He'd been right; as soon as we entered the house again, our busy relatives told us we were needed for opinions on the arrangements. Loki kissed my forehead and went off with my uncle to help them clear the yard where the reception would be held. I may or may not have had a dumb, sappy smile on my face when he left. I was a bit of a sucker for forehead kisses. Sue me.

I chose the floral arrangements, menu, cake, and music with my grandma and mother at my side taking notes. There was a local dress shop a few miles closer to town that we could hit, and if there wasn't anything there, I could always dig up a David's Bridal shop. I was very low maintenance and didn't want some giant, extravagant dress. Something subtle would work just fine for a small ceremony.

I'd gone downstairs to my room to dig something out of my purse when the bedroom door opened. My father appeared.

"Hey, Dad, what's up?" I asked.

He shut the door without answering me. Red flag.

My smile vanished. "What's wrong?"

He crossed his arms and exhaled slowly. "When were you planning on telling us?"

"Telling you what?"

He brandished his cell phone. "I just got a call from a Clint Barton from immigration."

The blood drained out of my face. My father's eyes narrowed. "He asked me some questions related to your fiance's deportation problem."

I crossed my arms as well. "That's standard procedure in unique cases like his."

"So you're really going to pretend that this whole wedding isn't one big fat green card scam? What? Did he offer to pay you so he won't get deported?"

I glared at him. "You think I'd jeopardize my future if I didn't love him?"

"Goddammit," my father spat. "This is not a joke. We're talking five years jail time. He's worth that to you? Do you know how many times you told me you wouldn't mind setting the man on fire and then all of the sudden you love him? You can fool your mother and your grandmother, but I know better. Just how low are you willing to sink for some stuck up asshole who doesn't give a damn about you?"

"You don't know him!" I shouted. "Or me! This isn't your life. It's mine. I will do what I damn well please with who I damn well please. I choose him. There's nothing else for you to do but accept it. Hell, I don't care if you do or not."

He shook his head. "I don't know why I thought you'd listen to me in the first place. You didn't for your career and you see where that landed you. In the lap of some asshole who's probably sleeping with you just because he's too lazy to find a real girlfriend."

The words hit me in the face like a wave of scalding hot water. I flinched, recoiled, shocked that my own father would say something so insulting. Tears burned at the back of my eyes. I refused to let them fall. He already thought I was weak enough.

"Excuse me," Loki said very quietly, shutting the door behind him. "Might I interject?"

I jumped. In all the arguing, neither me nor my father had been facing the door. There was no telling how long Loki had been standing there and how much of the argument he'd heard.

"You really don't want to test me right now," my father growled. "Walk away."

Loki met his gaze, his voice somehow calm and steady. "No."

He then walked over to me and held my hand. "You want to know the truth, do you?"

"For a change," my father sneered.

"The truth is..." Loki squeezed my hand.

"Your daughter is one of the kindest, most courageous people I've ever met. She is a hard worker. She is resilient and creative. I consider her to be invaluable as an employee."

Something cold and hard slid into his features. "And I will not stand by while you insult her character in such a disgraceful manner."

"Go to hell. You're an outsider. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" Loki snarled. "I may have only known your daughter a year, but I wouldn't dare speak to her that way even if I hated her. She is not some floozy that sits upon my lap and feeds me grapes. She has earned her place at that company by working harder than anyone there, myself included. And I love her because in spite of all the awful things that have been done to her, she remains patient, loving, graceful, and humble. In spite of what an ogre you've been, she is the one who wanted to come here to share her feelings with the people who love her. By the way you've just acted, I'm starting to think she didn't come here to share anything with you."

My father's shoulders and arms tensed. He was still angry, but I saw a fleck of uncertainty in his eyes. Loki let the words sink in for a moment before pressing onward. "My situation and its timing are unfortunate, but you need to know that I don't take this commitment lightly and neither does she. We have both considered the consequences of our actions. I speak only for myself in saying that I don't need your goddamn blessing on our union. Accept it or don't. I love her still."

Dad glanced between the two of us for a long, painful moment and then strode for the door. He slammed it shut behind him.

I collapsed to the floor.

Tears rushed up like a geyser. I didn't realize just how hard I'd been holding them in. Frustration bubbled out of me. I pressed my hands over my face, trying to staunch the tears so Loki couldn't see them. I felt like such a weak little girl, too hurt to stand up to her own father, too weak to deserve someone like Loki who would go to bat for me even neck-deep in a lie like we were.

Loki gently lifted me to sit on the ottoman. He didn't say anything at first. I heard him walk away and then he returned with a warm, wet washcloth. He pushed my hands down and cleaned off my ruined makeup as well as my tears.

"It's alright, sweetheart," he whispered. "It's going to be alright."

"Sorry," I mumbled hoarsely, staring at my shoes. "I didn't mean to cause a scene. You shouldn't have heard all that."

"I'm glad I did," he said gently. "I had no idea just what you were dealing with. He had no right to say such awful things to you."

I shook my head. "He's right. I'm just a stupid little girl who doesn't think things through."

"Nonsense. After all, you struck a deal that will benefit you rather handsomely off this entire debacle."

I tried to smile. It must have looked ghastly. "You were brilliant, by the way. Like a knight in shining armor or something. I totally bought it."

"Yes, I channeled my inner Westley," he said, returning the faint smile, albeit much better than I did. "I'm glad you approve, Princess Buttercup."

I rested my forehead against his and wrapped my arms around his neck. He was too close and too handsome. I shut my eyes so I wouldn't have to look at him. "Thank you."

"Don't," he said softly. "I put you in this horrible situation. There is no one to blame but me."

"Even so. No one's ever stood up for me before. Not even Steve."

"What kind of husband would I be if I weren't willing to go out on a limb for my wife?"

He brushed a lock of hair behind my ear and sighed. "You should go."

There was something hidden in his tone that made me open my eyes. "Why?"

Loki licked his lips as his gaze roved over me. "Because you're upset and my default setting for crying women is throw them on the bed and make love to them furiously for hours, and we don't have time for that."

I laughed. It was a wobbly, unattractive sound, but it was completely genuine. "Of course it is."

I bit my lip. "Crazy thing is...I'm not as opposed to it as I was before."

Something wild and excited flickered through Loki's eyes then. "Oh?"

"Don't say 'I told you so' or I'm going to take it back," I said severely. "But truth be told, it's been a long time since anyone's swept my chimney and technically if we're not in New York, it wouldn't count as fraternization, especially not if we're married. Let's just say that maybe I'm considering your offer."

"Well, it would take your mind off the many pressures that have plagued it as of late," Loki said helpfully. "And it would be a shame not to consummate our union after we've gone through so much trouble to make it so."

"So...tonight?"

He nodded. "Tonight."

I leaned towards him for a kiss, but he stopped me, shuddering slightly. "Don't kiss me or I'll take you right here, right now. Off you go."

Loki shooed me through the door and shut it after I'd gone, as if he needed the extra barrier between us just to be sure he wouldn't attack me. I tried not to giggle on my way back upstairs. Apparently, the Devil needed to cool off at just the thought of bedding me. The wonders never ceased.

* * *

The rest of the evening went faster than anticipated. I chose a simple dress with lace sleeves, a sweetheart styled bodice, and no train that was made of silk and satin and had a pretty purple sash as well as cute flower crown with a veil and some high-heeled sandals. My mother cried the whole time. It was adorable enough to keep me from thinking about how heartbroken she'd be once I told her Loki and I were getting a divorce.

Grandma opened all her many, many presents at dinner. The whole family toasted to her good health and then toasted Loki and I in a poorly disguised dress rehearsal for the reception tomorrow.

My father didn't say anything. He hadn't appeared to have told my mother, at least. He kept a quiet, neutral look on his face through everything. My mom knew something was up, but she didn't press him to explain since everyone else was having fun.

My visiting family said their goodbyes and loaded up into their cars for the night. I stood on the porch with a scotch, sipping away my anxiety and growing excitement about Loki's offer.

A shoulder bumped mine. I looked over to see Steve. He had a green flannel shirt open over a t-shirt and jeans and boots. It should have made him look like Paul Bunyan, but instead, he just looked absolutely delectable.

"Okay, we get it," I said with a groan. "You're physically flawless. You don't have to rub our faces in it."

Steve laughed. "Sorry. Is that the vibe I'm putting out there?"

"One hundred percent," I confirmed. "I'm pretty sure every one of my aunts took pictures of you when you were swimming in the lake. And they're all married, for God's sake."

He shook his head. "Gotta watch out for those married ones. They're the most trouble."

Steve drained his ale and set the bottle on the railing. He angled himself towards me, his voice and eyes very soft. "Are you sure about this? About tomorrow?"

I nodded. He exhaled. "Okay. Good. You know you can always tell me if something's wrong, right?"

"I know." I nibbled my lower lip. "I'm sorry this got so awkward. Had no idea you'd be here and you just had to spend a whole day that was supposed to be about my grandma listening to your ex's wedding plans."

He shrugged. "Well, I got to spend a little bit of time with your fiance and I have to say I can kind of see the appeal, at least. He's not that bad. Puts up a good front, but deep down, I think he's alright."

I squinted at him. "Steve, did you threaten him?"

He cleared his throat. "Not in so many words."

I groaned. "Dammit, Steve."

"Hey, if the guy can't handle pressure, he shouldn't have come here." He scratched the back of his neck. "And don't worry about it. Yeah, it's been awkward, but I'm glad I got to see you again. It's kind of a rule that exes can't talk to each other, so I'm soaking it in while I can. Won't get to see you until the next one of these big gatherings."

He shot me a sly look. "Or at your baby shower."

I slapped his arm. "Oh, shut up! I am not pregnant, you jerk!"

Steve glanced down at my stomach. "Ah. Then you just had too many ribs at dinner."

I hit him again. He caught me around the waist so I was too close for another blow to land and my heart tried to bust a hole through my ribs. Our faces were dangerously close. I swallowed hard and kept my eyes on his instead of on his lips where they wanted to wander.

"Good luck tomorrow," he whispered. "I'd come to see you off, but..."

"Yeah," I said, knowing what he meant. "Thanks, Steve."

He kissed my cheek and hugged me tightly, rubbing his hand along my back in that way that had always made me want to melt into a puddle. He let go, flashed me another smile, and headed for his car. I watched him drive off into the night until his taillights were gone.

Then I descended to the Underworld, where my Hades was waiting for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating goes up next chapter. *cackles madly and slides back into her trashpile*


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Loki decide to consummate your complicated relationship before the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut chapter is smut. Lots and lots of it. You've been warned.
> 
> I also recommend a track listing for your reading--"I Put a Spell on You" as sung by Christone "Kingfish" Ingram. Trust me. It's really good for the mood.

_I put a spell on you_

_Because, because, because you're mine_

_Because you're mine!_

_Stop the things, stop the things, stop the things you do_

_Stop the things you do_

_I ain't lyin'_

_No, I ain't lyin!_

_You know I love you_

_I love you anyhow_

_I don't care if you don't want me_

_Say 'I'm yours' right now_

_Oh, I put a spell on you_

_Yeah, I put a spell on you_

_Because you're mine_

_Because, because you're mine!_

 

I walked back into my room to confront the Devil in my bed, and the first thing I said was, "I'm not begging you for anything."

Loki sat on the ottoman, fingers laced together with his forearms leaning on his thighs, watching me with the patience and posture of a hungry tiger. He smiled as I shut the door and locked it.

"That was before my rehabilitation," he said, smoothly sitting up and draping one long arm over the edge of the bed and crossing one leg over the other. "I promised to treat you better, and so I shall."

I shut off the overhead light and turned on the lamp in the corner. Golden light filled the space instead, making it seem more intimate and less intimidating. It also made Loki's topaz eyes glow like the inside of a flame.

"That being said," he continued. "I do want something from you."

I took a deep breath to quell the butterflies in my stomach. "Which is?"

He lowered his sooty lashes a bit. "Tell me you want me."

I shook my head slightly as I kicked off my sandals. "Why am I not surprised?"

He smirked. "You know me too well. Still, indulge me just this once."

"Why? You've spent a year tormenting me. Maybe it's my turn."

"You are most welcome to do so. But I assure you my performance is much more impressive if you give me this one concession."

I went to the little wetbar next to the armoire and poured some scotch into two glasses. "Does that get your motor going?"

The smirk deepened into something so sexual I almost wanted to report it to the FCC. "To a ridiculous extent."

I sighed and handed him a glass, clinking them together. "You really do read too many trashy novels, Loki."

We both drank, staring at each other. I returned the glasses to the small table. Loki lowered his leg as I climbed onto his lap and looped my arms around his neck. He was awfully comfortable for such a lanky bastard, not nearly as bony as I'd worried he'd be.

"Loki," I whispered, brushing his dark hair from his forehead. "I want you."

The tall Englishman inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly; a movement that made his whole body arch underneath me for a couple seconds. I couldn't explain why, but the sight was amazingly erotic.

In the blink of an eye, I found myself on my back atop the bed, my legs dangling over the edge. Loki stood over me with a wicked smile. He reached up and slipped off his tie, letting it drop onto the ottoman. He undid his cuffs and then unbuttoned his shirt devastatingly slow, his gaze tunneling into mine the entire time. With every button, my breathing quickened. By the time he shrugged out of the shirt, I was panting heavily. He tugged the sleeveless shirt beneath it off as well and then crawled over me in just his suit pants with the tie wrapped around his fist. He leaned his waist against my knees and I let my legs fall open so he could fit between them.

"Arms up," he murmured. I obeyed. Loki removed my t-shirt, but not my bra. He then looped the tie around my wrists and tied me to the headboard in a gesture so smooth there was no doubt in my mind he'd done it many times before. He reached over to the nightstand where the tie he'd worn last night rested and instructed me to close my eyes. Shivering all over, I again obeyed him. Darkness swallowed my vision as he blindfolded me.

Without my sight, I could only focus on sound and touch. The bed creaked with every movement of his above me. He kissed my forehead first, lightly, each cheek, then my lips.

"Mm, we're going to get started," Loki purred, still not touching me anywhere else. "Even though you are bound, you may tell me no and stop as you wish and I will obey. Understand?"

I nodded. He bit my lip. "Out loud, sweetheart."

"Yes, I understand."

"I've brought protection with me, but are you--"

"Yes," I said, squirming with impatience. "I'm on the pill. Loki, for God's sake, _get on with it_."

"Easy, love," he said. "I just need to know if you want me to--"

"Loki, I haven't been fucked in over two years. You can come inside me all you want--just hurry up before I change my mind, you sadistic--"

Loki grabbed a handful of my hair, jerked my head back, and kissed the living daylights out of me. My brain exploded out the back of my skull. He chased after my tongue until he caught it, sucking it into his mouth, his lips devouring mine, hard and insistent. My nipples tightened to beads beneath my bra and slick heat pooled between my thighs.

He drew my lower lip between his teeth before letting me go. "Two years is much too long for a woman so beautiful to go unfulfilled. Rest assured, sweetheart. We'll make up for lost time."

I whimpered as he stretched his tall frame out on top of me at long last. His hot skin made goosebumps pop up over my belly, the inside of my biceps, my neck, my calves. He gripped my wrists with both of his hands to hold me down and then he slid his knees up until he had straddled me. I still had jean shorts on, so I expected him to remove them, but he didn't.

Instead, he ground his pelvis into me. I gasped in surprise as the heavy material grazed my opening through the layers of cloth and sent a jolt of pleasure streaking through me.

"L-Loki, what are you d-doing?" I stammered out in confusion as he continued rubbing the hard, blunt tent in his pants up against my sensitive lower body.

"It's been too long for you," he murmured, licking over my pulse. "If I start outright, you'll get overstimulated and come too quickly, which will make you sleepy. You need to pace yourself."

Holy God, the man could somehow think logically and plan ahead while dry humping me into the bed like an animal. Maybe he wasn't human after all. "But--"

"Relax," he said, hushing me. "Focus on me."

I bit my lip, trying not to moan as the rhythm of Loki's narrow hips opened the floodgates inside me. The pleasure pulsed over and over again each time his heavy body pinned me to the bed and scraped up towards my clit.

Loki squeezed my wrists. Warm air brushed my ear as he leaned into me more. "Moan for me, sweetheart. Let me hear it."

My thighs twitched at the command. "Mm, Loki..."

"Now I want you to think about how good it's going to feel once I'm inside you," he rasped in my ear, shifting his hands down to either side of my waist. "My cock pressing deep over and over again. Finding that one little spot you love and rubbing up against it until you lose control."

"Ah! Loki!" I shuddered as he quickened his pace, thrusting harder against me.

"Yes," he drawled. "You can feel it, can't you? Let it in. Let me in. Let me please you."

I trembled, gasped, and climaxed abruptly underneath him. My toes curled. I gripped the tie between my fingers and held on tight, hissing as my inner walls clenched in the throes of the orgasm. Loki purred again and licked the sweat off my neck and shoulder, sucking a hickey into my skin just above my collarbone.

"There," he said in a supremely pleased fashion. "That was a good warmup orgasm."

I choked on a laugh, still dizzy and drunk from the climax. "I didn't know that was a thing."

Loki clucked his tongue. "You have much to learn."

He lifted some of his weight until he could resettle his knees. The zipper to my shorts went _'viiip!'_ and then he slid them down my legs. I squirmed a bit, blushing as the cool air hit the damp cotton over my slit. Loki's breathing hitched and another purr rumbled through his chest. I heard a slightly wet rasp; he'd licked his lips, it sounded like.

"You cannot imagine how many times I've pictured this by now."

"Since we got here?"

"Hardly," he said. "Since we met."

I cocked my head to one side. "Wait, really? I thought you hated my guts when we first met."

"Bloody hell, woman, you really are clueless. Every day I had at least one fantasy where I bent you over my desk, spanked you, and then fucked you into a coma."

I blushed furiously. My voice came out very small and sheepish. _"Oh."_

He paused and then I heard the smugness in his tone. "Are you telling me you never fantasized about me?

I blushed even harder. "No."

"Never?"

"Never."

"Not even in your sleep?"

Foolishly, I hesitated. "No."

I yelped as Loki pinched my inner thigh. "Liar. Tell me."

"I-I'm not going to tell you about my wet dreams."

"I'm about to fuck your brains out. You might as well tell me." He caught my ankles and lifted them onto his shoulders, kissing the inside of my right calf. It both tickled and sent a flare of heat across my bare skin. "Come on, you know you want to. Just one dream. Doesn't have to be in perfect detail."

I licked my lips as the pleasure of his searing-hot mouth climbing up my leg one inch at a time fogged up my brain and turned off some of my more reserved qualities. "F-Fine. So maybe I had a dream that we were working late and I went to get something from the supply closet and you followed me in there and we...you know...did things."

"Such as?" the insufferable bastard asked.

I fidgeted as much as I could with both hands bound. "You shoved my skirt up and ate me out. Then you fucked me from behind. Hard. Very, very hard, actually."

"Hmm...is that around the time of that one week where you wouldn't look me in the eye?"

"...maybe."

Loki chuckled as he reached my knee. "You are positively adorable sometimes."

"Shut up. You're the one who copped to fantasizing about me first."

"And I bear no shame for that." His warm, soft lips hit my upper thigh. He sunk his teeth into the plush skin and I moaned before I could help myself. "Speaking of eating out..."

Loki's fingertips curled inside the hem of my panties and rolled them down just enough to expose my hipbone. He licked the crease where my thigh met my hip, pulling another heady moan from me, and then swept his tongue up towards my navel. He trailed downward again, kissing every new inch of bared skin as he folded the underwear off my body until every inch of me was now exposed. Loki's stare was so intense I could practically feel the heat from it drenching my skin like warm honey.

"Oh my," he murmured huskily. "Even lovelier than I imagined."

He hooked his hands beneath my knees and drew them further up towards my chest. I wriggled along the mattress to get more comfortable as his damp, scorching breath flared over my inner thighs. Self conscious didn't begin to cover it. My head swam with thoughts of how many other naked women Loki had seen in his lifetime and how I was sure I couldn't hold a candle to any of them.

He didn't touch me for so long that I couldn't help but mumble, "Loki?"

"Have you ever had one of those moments where you know you're exactly where you need to be at exactly the right time?" he asked quietly.

Comfort flowed through me. I nodded. "Y-Yeah."

Loki lowered his mouth to my sex. He drew his tongue up over my outer walls slowly, ending the first pass with a kiss over my spot. Pleasure exploded in a shockwave through every inch of me. My knees snapped down over his shoulders, my thighs clenching tight, my nipples aching from lack of stimulation, and heat suffused me inside out. I buried my face in my arm to stifle a scream. God, it had been so long since I'd felt something so good.

He drew in a sharp breath and didn't fight the way I'd clung to him; from the rapid breaths against my inner thighs, I could tell he'd enjoyed my reaction. He settled his weight on his forearms, trapping my body between his arms, ensuring that I couldn't escape. Something deep within me twinged with fear and lust and pure need.

Loki's fingers dug into my chin as he turned my face away from my arm. "Oh, no you don't. I want to hear you cry out for me, sweetheart. Scream yourself hoarse if you must. Don't hold back."

He flattened his tongue over my slit, this time licking a slow stripe up to collect the nectar that had spilled out of me from my current state of arousal. I could hear the smirk in his voice. "It seems calling you sweet was prophetic."

The blush on my cheeks dialed itself up to eleven. My head would detonate at this rate. "Shut up."

"Not on your life. If your reactions are any indication, you have a thing for my voice. I wonder if I can get you off that way, in fact. Let's find out, shall we?"

Loki slipped his tongue inside me all the way. His lips sealed over my soaking wet walls and he sucked me hard, pushing with the talented muscle at the same time.

"Fuck!" I arched off the bed helplessly as ecstasy ravaged me again, leaving me gasping on the bedspread. Loki lost and found his tongue inside me over and over, tidal wave after tidal wave of pleasure, drowning me in suffocating bliss one minute at a time. The fact that I couldn't see him only made it worse. My mind couldn't handle the thought of seeing the Devil poised between my legs, extracting moan after moan from my throat, desire burning in his eyes as he stared up at my naked body to see my reaction.

"Come for me, sweetheart," Loki whispered, biting a sensitive spot on my inner left thigh. "Stop resisting."

I shook my head. "No, not yet, please, Loki."

"You are at your limit." He bit my other thigh. "Come."

"Mm, but I want...more..."

"Stubborn girl," he sighed, shifting over me. The mattress pitched to one side, indicating he'd lifted one of his arms.

Then he slid two fingers inside me.

I cried out, my head rolling back as my inner muscles clenched greedily around the long, cool digits. He immediately pumped them into me fast, hard, driving high-pitched moans from my throat one at a time. "Ah! Loki, please, _please!_ "

Loki's other arm curled around me to keep me still. His thumb brushed over my opening, stroking over my spot until he found my clit. He circled it with the tip of his tongue before taking it inside his sweltering mouth and sucking in time with the strokes of his fingers. He made a beckoning motion and the world shattered around me into a million glittering pieces as I climaxed.

I arched up from the bed, frustrated and elated, pulling wildly at my restraints as the orgasm thundered through my veins. I'd shouted something, maybe his name, maybe just a curse word. By the time I slumped down against the bed again, I was drenched in sweat from head to toe and I couldn't get enough air into my lungs to save my life.

Loki made an obscene slurping sound as he removed his mouth and fingers from my quivering cunt. He sighed and then I heard another sucking noise. He was licking his fingers clean, the bastard.

"I don't think there is another woman I've enjoyed going down on as much as you, sweetheart. That was truly magnificent."

It took me a moment before I had the strength to reply. "I think you just sucked the soul right out of me."

Loki laughed. "Why, thank you. I try."

He kissed my bellybutton and climbed his way up my stomach, my ribs, ending with a kiss over my sternum. He settled his heavy frame over my chest and I heard the scrape of leather and jingle of his belt as he undressed himself. I licked my lips, my breathing elevating yet again in anticipation.

The front of my bra lifted slightly and then I felt the smooth glide of his cock between my breasts. The suddenness of it drew a sharp gasp from my throat. I wasn't buxom, but I had enough for actual cleavage. It was difficult to estimate his size without seeing it, but as he pressed my tits together over the length of him, I confirmed that he was well-endowed. His cock twitched, his flesh silky against the sensitive mounds of my breasts, and I heard Loki's breathing get labored.

"You have no idea how gorgeous you look right now," he rumbled, planting his big hands on either side of my shoulders. He held his weight off me so I wouldn't be crushed and gently sank into rhythm, pushing his long cock against my sternum. The brush of skin on skin, the slight wetness of precum that beaded between my breasts, the creak of the mattress, and my lack of eyesight made it one of the sexiest foreplay experiences of my life.

Loki swallowed hard enough that I heard it before asking in a rough voice. "May I?"

I nodded. Seconds later, he shifted a bit higher and tapped the head of his cock against my lips. I parted them for him and pulled the head of his cock inside my mouth.

Loki groaned deeply. The sound was exquisite. He tasted a bit like sweat and fresh cotton, not an unappealing flavor on my tongue. I circled his tip, listening to his jerky gasps of delight, imagining the expressions flying over his handsome features. I relaxed my neck to indicate I could handle more, but he suddenly withdrew.

"I'll be no good to you if we go any further," he panted out, popping the front clasp on the bra. My breasts spilled free and he quickly palmed them, teasing my hardened nipples. He took the left one in his mouth, massaging, tweaking, teasing the right one, and then switched. I whimpered as he bit another kiss mark into my skin, on the lower edge of my right breast, and then he surged upward.

He fisted my hair and yanked my head back as he took my lips in a kiss that ignited every cell and nerve in my entire body. I pressed up into it with all my might, not even stifling the moan it drew from me. He nibbled my upper and lower lip before breaking the soul-stealing kiss.

"I want you," he whispered, running his hand down my ribs, over my side, cupping my ass. He aligned our bodies on the bed until I felt his cock nudging against my impossibly wet folds. "Can I have you, sweetheart?"

"Yes," I whispered back. " _Yes._ Now, Loki. _Now._ "

He tugged my right leg higher, cradling his side, and entered me with one quick, hard thrust of his hips.

The sensation was nearly unparalleled. He buried himself deep at my aching center, stretching me, molding me to fit his enormous size, and yet the slickness of the motion sent swirls and whorls of pleasure buzzing over every inch of my naked skin. My mouth fell open and I didn't even try to stop or stifle the joyful gasp that leapt out of me. It had damn near come from my soul. Something absolutely incredible clicked into place as he filled me, something I'd never felt with another man, not even Steve.

Loki's heavy frame froze after the first thrust and I heard the breath driven from his chest after he was inside me. His hair brushed either side of my face as he leaned over me on his forearms; a low, hungry growl vibrating up his upper torso. It took him a moment to regain his composure, and a little thrill slipped down my spine at the knowledge.

He licked the seam of my lips and then kissed me again, burying one hand in my tangled locks, his tongue circling mine. Drunken nirvana seeped through me. God, he hadn't even moved yet. I'd never felt anything like this before. He used my hair to tug my head to one side and fell upon my neck, licking, sucking, grazing my throat with his teeth as he began to pull out.

I almost cried out from the loss of him, from the toe-curling drag of his cock leaving me, but he returned to me just as quickly. He planted one hand beside my shoulder for balance and then proceeded to fuck me in long, deep, unhurried strokes. His chest grazed my nipples, his cobblestone abs flat to mine, his pelvis scraping against my spot at the end of every thrust. The bed rocked in its frame--a squeak, a groan, a whispering shift of covers, a slap of skin on skin. I couldn't focus; I could just feel him all around me, in me, breathing in and out as he plundered me for everything I had. Every movement sent a heavy pulse of pleasure rocketing down my toes and then bouncing up all the way to my scalp. It was heavenly, inescapable, and terrifying all at once.

"Yes," Loki whispered against my throat, setting his teeth into my skin. "Yes, my sweet. That's it. Take it. Take your pleasure. Own it. Make it yours."

His words filled me to the brim with need and anticipation. I wound my legs around his thighs to hold him in just the right spot. Loki groaned in my ear and sped up his thrusts, fucking me deeper, pinning me to the mattress. I jerked against my restraints, half-panicked as his cock grazed my spot and made my spine arch helplessly.

"Mm, is that it?" he taunted. "Is that where you need me, sweetheart?"

"L-Loki," I protested in between gasps. "I can't...I don't..."

He kissed me, stealing my breath, his voice somehow even deeper from arousal. "Don't hide from it. Surrender. You want so badly to keep your control, but you don't need it. You need to let go."

He spread my thighs wider with his knees and propped his upper body on his hands, trapping me between them. Even through the blindfold, I felt the heat in his gaze as he stared down at me. He wrapped those long fingers around my throat and held me down in one spot, and then pounded his cock into me as fast and as hard as he possibly could.

" _Fuck!_ Fuck, Loki, yes, please God, _yes!_ " I twisted underneath him, rolling my hips, desperate for more as his cock plunged into me, hammering the highly sensitive point hidden inside me that was dying for his touch.

"Come for me, sweetheart," he purred. "Let go. Just let it go."

I couldn't take anymore. I came with his name on my lips; a prayer, a song, a warning, a curse, a jubilant chant. Nirvana rained down from the heavens and drenched me. I melted into a puddle on the bed--safe, warm, wanted, and satisfied.

Loki shuddered above me and slowed his strokes one at a time until he ground to a halt. His hips had stuttered in their rhythm once or twice, but even in my sex-coma I'd felt that he hadn't come. It had probably taken nearly all of his will power for such a thing. It was rather impressive.

He untied my blindfold and kissed me awake, his wintry eyes glittering with pride and contentment. "Did you enjoy that, sweetheart?"

I didn't even try to fake it. I lifted up enough to kiss him in answer. He chuckled softly when I drew away. "I'll take that as a yes."

He reached up and untied me from the headboard. I looped my arms around his neck and hugged him to me as our bodies cooled, enjoying the weight of his muscles and smoothness of his pale skin. He let out lovely little groans as I ran my nails down over his back. Good thing he'd untied me. I didn't want to explain the marks on my wrists at the ceremony tomorrow. At least I could use concealer for the hickies he'd already given me.

"So what can we do about this?" I asked, brushing up against his still rock-hard cock.

"Many things," he said, grinning. "But I trust you didn't take it as a sign that I'm unsatisfied. I promised you a night of carnal bliss and I intend to keep that promise by any means necessary."

The Devil wanted to be selfless in bed. With me. I was so sure I'd wake up any second now. I thought it over. "Well, we could always talk about those daily fantasies you were having about me, which I am very interested in for selfish reasons."

Loki cleared his throat. His cheeks actually turned a little pinker, to my utmost amusement. "I'm not entirely certain that's appropriate."

I stared at him. "Loki, you just spent the last fifteen minutes doing things to me that make me want to renounce my faith in God and become a Satan worshiper."

He snorted. "Be that as it may, my fantasies aren't exactly very..."

Loki paused, as if choosing the right words. "...politically correct."

"What? Are you a Libertarian or something?"

"Trust me, they say a lot about my character that I'd rather not reveal."

"This coming from a man who once drunkenly called me at three AM to order him an Uber after he spent the night with a girl who had an apartment that wasn't clean enough for him."

"To be fair, that place was disgusting."

"Then why'd you still sleep with her?"

"You did mention that I was drunk, remember?"

"Loki," I said firmly. "I'm about to marry you so you don't get deported back to England. The least you can do is tell me who you really are. I'm not afraid of you."

He licked his lips, his body shifting awkwardly, as if he wanted to pull away, but he didn't. He shut his eyes. "Are you certain?"

I peered up at the naked purveyor of all my best and yet worst moments in the last year and murmured back, "Do your worst."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ROFL FAM I SWEAR TO GOD I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I WROTE SO MUCH SMUT THAT IT HAD TO BE SPLIT INTO SEPARATE CHAPTERS OF RAUNCHY FUCKING. OH WELL. JFC I AM TOO THIRSTY. #SORRYNOTSORRY 
> 
> Feel free to speculate what Loki's fantasy is and then we'll see if any of you are right next chapter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki reveals one of his office fantasies about Reader. Loki POV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot racier than the previous chapter, full disclosure. We get into some of the darkest aspects of Loki's fetishes, but hopefully nothing that comes across as dubious consent. Reader signed up for it in his fantasy, so it is consented. 
> 
> Warnings: Light dom/sub activity, light spanking, very minor anal play, unprotected sex, male power play kink, semi public sex in the office.
> 
> If that doesn't float your boat or find your lost remote, next chapter will likely be tamer. 
> 
> Don't stone me to death, please?

_In the storm of my anger, I could only articulate three words into the telephone in my hand. "My office. Now."_

_She didn't answer. She could tell by the way I'd snarled that she didn't need to anyhow. I stood and stalked over to the door, holding it open. She walked past me and I slammed it shut. I pointedly locked it and rounded on her, anger radiating off me like boiling steam._

_"I specifically told you not to fuss with the files in the Dropbox," I spat. "Thanks to your tampering, the most recent draft is now gone and I have to do revisions that will no doubt take me hours to redo."_

_Her eyes flashed. "I didn't fuss with anything. I was completing a different task and your instructions were unclear."_

_"You were careless," I hissed. "If my instructions were unclear, then you should have asked before you did anything to jeopardize my work. I don't want to hear your excuses. What's done is done."_

_She drew in a breath, squaring her shoulders, her lids lowering over those fiery eyes that never dimmed for any reason, no matter what I did to her. "So did you call me in here just to insult the quality of my work or are you going to fire me? I don't have all day."_

_"Oh, you'd love that, wouldn't you?" I said with a snort as I returned to my chair at the desk. "Being released from your duties to skip happily away to another publishing company. Keep dreaming, sweetheart. Firing you is much too similar to giving you what you want, after all, and we can't have that, can we?"_

_She glared at me. "Apparently not. What, then?"_

_I let a feral, hungry grin slide over my lips slowly and deliberately. "You already know what."_

_She stiffened, her eyes widening slightly, and then she glanced away as a blush curled across her cheeks. I welcomed the expression. I loved the way it looked upon her lovely features. Something other than the cool demeanor she sought to keep around me at all times. "The first time was a mistake."_

_I lifted an eyebrow. "And the time after that? What about the other one?"_

_She blushed harder, saying nothing. I continued. "Besides, we both know it's not up to you. You know the terms of your employment. You signed a contract. You agreed to the terms of your punishment, unique as they are."_

_I pointed to the desk. "Assume the position, sweetheart."_

_The flush deepened to a beautiful rosy hue and swept down her neck. She stood there for a few seconds, her hands clenched into fists, her spine ramrod straight, thick lashes on her cheeks, seeming as if she were going to protest and storm out of the office. Instead, something rolled through her--exhaustion or defeat, perhaps--and she stepped across the carpet until she walked around to my side of the desk. She pressed her palms flat to its top, on either side of my laptop, and bent over._

_Today, she'd worn a black high-waisted skirt with a white dress shirt that hadn't been buttoned all the way up, giving the barest glimpse of her breasts if she leaned over at just the right angle. Her hair was bound in its usual complicated French knot. Minimal makeup. Pumps with low heels, which was sensible considering how much walking she did every day. Sometimes I thought about if she ever got blisters on her ankles and my mind entertained the fleeting thought of giving her a long, slow foot massage. I really did work her to the bone._

_And I was damn well about to do that right now, in fact._

_She didn't flinch when I stood up from my chair and pushed it back a bit. The beginnings of arousal coursed through me at the sight of her, somehow both afraid and yet utterly willing. I lowered my hands to the hem of her skirt and pulled it up until it bunched at her waist, just below her shirt. I let myself glance down at her panties. Navy lace. My cock bucked against my zipper, begging to be unleashed, but I willed myself to focus._

_I shoved her panties down to her knees and kicked her legs apart. She had an ass that could make any man fall to his knees with the urge to worship it. Full, round cheeks, so curved, so shapely, like a peach. My mouth watered just staring down at it._

_"Four strikes," I told her. "Since this is your fourth offense. Do you understand?"_

_She hung her head, the angle shielding me from her ashamed expression. "Yes, sir."_

_The tremble in her voice made my knees want to give out. I craved that unsure tone of voice for some reason. It wasn't the fear, not really. It was the surrender. I'd never met a woman who could make me hard so quickly with how she submitted herself to me. There was almost an elegance to it. She had the power and the resolve to resist me if she truly wanted, and yet she didn't._

_And that was also why I couldn't get her out of my damned head._

_"Count."_

_I raised my hand a moderate distance from her bottom and struck once, hard, on the right cheek. She didn't flinch. Her prone body jerked slightly. That was all._

_"One," she whispered hoarsely._

_My hand flew again, same spot, same strength. "Two."_

_I caressed the left side of her ass with my other hand before I hit her again. "Three."_

_I admired the angry, reddened flesh that rather made her ass look like a gala apple waiting for a bite. She still didn't falter, but her breath came in tiny, shaking gulps. She never cried. It relieved me. I didn't want her to, after all. I was wicked, not cruel, at least in my own mind._

_"Do you understand what you did wrong, sweetheart?" I asked._

_She nodded. "Yes, sir."_

_"Will you do it again?"_

_"No, sir."_

_"Only one more. Lean forward."_

_She angled her upper torso over the desk, raising that gorgeous ass with its matching spots of color to me. I could hear myself now--I'd started breathing harder with excitement._

_I struck the first spot, harder than the first three times, ensuring the sting would go a little deeper than just the surface. She'd be sore, but not injured. As soon as my palm slapped her bare flesh, her spine arched and she whimpered._

_Gods above. I almost came on the spot._

_Now that her punishment had come to an end, she gathered herself up from the desk, huffing slightly, a lock of hair untucked from her knot. I slid my arm around her and held her against me, angling my mouth towards her ear. "Now that you've learned your lesson, I need to provide you with an incentive to perform better in the future. Do you consent to your reward, sweetheart?"_

_She inhaled sharply. "Y-Yes, sir."_

_Something in my chest stirred. I ignored it. Utter conviction when it was time for the punishment, and yet reticence at the reward. Someone had done extensive damage to her self-confidence. She must have felt unworthy of pleasure deep down. Shame, really. I'd never met another woman so utterly deserving of pleasure, touch, connection, praise. The latter word rolled about in my skull for a moment before I decided to try something new._

_"Good girl," I whispered._

_A shudder rolled down her spine. Ah. My hunch was correct._

_I shut my laptop and pushed it aside, as well as some other papers and items. I turned her around and laid her upon the desk. Her panties dangled precariously off one leg before finally hitting the carpet. She stared up at me with those deep, defiant eyes as I loomed above her._

_"How shall I reward you, sweetheart?" I asked, kissing her palm. "Tell me."_

_She bit her lower lip. Again, my cock pulsed painfully against my slacks. "I..."_

_"You what?"_

_She swallowed hard. "I...want you to...fuck me."_

_My eyebrows lifted. I'd expected oral sex. This woman still surprised me even after all this time. "On the desk or in the chair?"_

_She fidgeted. "T-The chair."_

_I sucked her thumb into my mouth and watched another set of shivers roll through her. "Hard?"_

_"Yes, sir," she whispered breathlessly._

_I smirked. "Very well."_

_I undid my tie, the first couple buttons of my shirt, and then my belt and slacks. She watched me with rapt attention, like a nervous little bunny. I dared to think the torn expression on her face was cute._

_Then I sat in my chair and crooked a finger at her._

_She scooted to the edge and then off the desk, her fingers nervously curling and uncurling in a useless gesture as she stepped towards me on unsteady feet. She climbed into my lap and settled over me. I wasted no time working my hand beneath her skirt. I was rewarded with slick folds, so hot they nearly scorched me, confirming that she'd enjoyed our little session thus far._

_"Mm, you're so wet, sweetheart," I groaned in her ear. "So wet for me."_

_I adjusted my hand. "But not enough just yet."_

_I slipped two fingers inside her. She shoved her face to my shoulder and cried out, a muffled sound, gripping my shirt as her body convulsed over me. My eyes shut on their own. So fucking tight. I loved nothing more than a cunt as tight as hers always was. Her inner walls clenched nearly to the point of pain, so I flexed my hand a couple times until they relaxed enough for me to move properly. I held her still in my lap and steadily fucked her with my fingers, cultivating more sweet gasps and moans out of her one at a time. It didn't take long to push her to the edge; she was damn near touch starved, and her lovely little cunt was highly sensitive. I longed to taste it again, but we'd set the rules for a reason. She hadn't asked for it, and I wouldn't unless she did._

_She raked her nails over my biceps, her voice high and thready. "L-Loki, I'm gonna come."_

_It almost took a year off my life, but I withdrew my fingers, licked them clean, and then undid my fly. My cock bullied its way out of my boxer shorts, twitching impatiently against her flat tummy. I leaned forward to rifle through my desk drawer, but she pressed into me then._

_"I, um, I want--you don't have to--"_

_I eyed her. "You're sure?"_

_She nodded. A very perverse and unthinking wave of pleasure attacked all my senses at once. As dangerous and stupid as it was, nothing thrilled me like unprotected sex. A responsible woman like her would certainly have her own protection in place, but there was nothing I liked more than being buried deep within her sweet little cunt coming hard and unrestrained. She freed me, in her own way._

_I licked my lips and tried to wrestle my control back into place. "Then that will be the last part of your punishment. After we're through here, I want you to go back to your little desk without your panties, my come between your pretty legs, dripping down your thighs, until lunch time. Then you may clean up and retrieve your panties."_

_"Bastard," she whispered, her pupils blown wide until they'd swallowed the color of her irises._

_I grinned wolfishly. "You have no idea."_

_I jerked my hips up. My cock slipped into her--a hot squeeze of flesh hidden beneath her skirt like a secret only the two of us knew. My toes curled. I gripped her hard and hissed from between clenched teeth. Gods, she was perfect._

_She gasped sharply and dug her nails into my arms, clinging to me and the chair, her toned thighs clamping down on either side of me. Part of me knew I should let her get acclimated, but my cock didn't give a good goddamn. My hips obeyed it rather than my brain and started thrusting upward into the unbelievably delicious sheath hovering over it. I clutched her hips and fucked her like a savage. The chair rocked and squeaked from the force of it. The only reason she didn't scream for mercy was because I'd kissed her right before the first thrust. She moaned into my mouth over and over again, keening, cooing, driving me mad with desire with every delicate sound. I wanted to ruin her. I wanted to tear her apart and hold the pieces in the palm of my hand. Such beauty. Such fire. I wanted to burn to death in her flames._

_"L-Loki," she stammered out, her hips losing rhythm above mine, ragged breaths issuing from her lips. She tilted her head back and arched her spine, her eyes rolling back in her head. Her cunt clenched around my cock tighter and tighter with every stroke. She was close. So close I could taste it. We both could._

_I shifted her in my arms until I worked a hand between our bodies. She mewled as I circled her clit and then her outer walls before making a path towards her shapely ass. She shrieked as I pushed my middle finger inside her ass, just up to the first knuckle, using the slickness from her body to help it along. She came that very second._

_"Whose cunt is this?" I growled against her lips, pumping up into her soft, wet, tight heat as she trembled in the throes of her orgasm._

_"Yours," she whimpered back to me. "Yours, Loki. It's yours."_

_After that, I simply couldn't hold back any longer. I slammed her down onto my lap once, twice, thrice, and came hard inside her. The world bled to white, but just before it did, I was treated to the image of her, shoulders back, hair tumbling hopelessly loose, slightly swollen lips parted, gasping out my name as I defiled her gorgeous body. I was a selfish, hopeless, sick bastard, and I loved every second of it._

_We sagged against the chair in unison. I didn't even try to calculate how long the two of us sat there, panting heavily, riding Cloud Nine to its destination._

_Then, gradually, the ecstasy and afterglow faded. I regrettably began to remember the workload I still had ahead of me and kissed her temple. She roused herself and pulled away from me. She took a moment to rebutton her shirt and pulled the skirt back down over her body. I got a quick glimpse of the mess I'd left behind and smug pride filled my chest. She didn't try to salvage her hair, though; simply removed a few bobby pins and let it flow around her face. I would never tell her so, but I much preferred it when she wore it down._

_"Is there anything else, sir?" she asked, once more the model administrative assistant._

_My cock twitched again before I got it back into my underwear and slacks, the fool thing. It had been miraculous enough to be in this arrangement, and yet my body ached for more of her. I wanted more than anything to drag her to my Jaguar, race home, and continue pleasuring her in every single fashion I could possibly think of._

_"No, sweetheart," I said. "That'll be all."_

_For now, my brain finished for me._

"Goddamn, Loki," I muttered. "That was quite a fantasy."

He shrugged one shoulder in a non-committal gesture. "You asked."

"And you had that every day we worked?"

"Pretty much, with some variations."

"And I thought I was the one who needed to get laid."

He rolled his eyes. "I was getting laid. It just didn't seem to matter much to my brain since none of them were you."

I thought it over as I lay there. "So...assuming I consented, what exactly would you like to do to me?"

He licked his lips, dragging his gaze down my naked body obscenely slow. "I would very much like to fuck you from behind like a wild animal."

He raised his eyes to meet mine, something uncharacteristically insecure in his expression as he waited for my reaction. I shook my head, smiling. "You're such a romantic, Loki."

Loki glared. "You're going to pay for that."

"God, I hope so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JFC, we're about to be at three smut chapters. The thirst is too real. *buys first class ticket to hell*


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More pre-wedding boudoir shenanigans with Loki and Reader.

"Tell me something," Loki said as he casually rolled me onto my belly and tucked a pillow underneath my waist. "What happened with you and Steve?"

I glared at him over my shoulder. "Really? Now?"

He shrugged as he nudged me into position, pushing my thighs apart and lifting my rear end. "I confess that I'm curious. He's a handsome, do-right man from what I can tell. You two seem suited for each other."

He then punctuated this annoying comment by popping open one of the tiny bottles of lavender oil usually kept in the guest bathroom, rubbing it on his hands, and then lowering them to me. I shuddered hard as he worked the scented oil into my skin, first my shoulders, then down my spine, over the curved flesh of my backside, my thighs, my calves, my ankles, and my feet. His movements flowed so flawlessly that there was no doubt he'd done this before with other women. It felt heavenly.

That, more than anything else, was why I decided to cooperate. "It wasn't that we didn't care about each other enough. The feelings were there. They still are. But Steve wanted to stay down here and I wanted to move to New York where things would be more conducive to my career, and both of us were too stubborn to compromise."

"I see." Loki caressed my thighs in slow circles. "Was he your first love?"

"Yes," I said, eyes closing as my body began to melt under his careful hands.

"Do you resent him?"

"A little. He could easily have found work up there, but he liked being here among family and friends. I was itching to be out on my own. I've always been that way. Charging ahead into unknown territory."

"That I believe," he mused. "It's a shame it didn't work out. I think you'd have made him a fine bride. You have a lot of tendencies that are preferable in a wife."

"Now, you wouldn't just be saying that because I'm naked and you're about to have sex with me again, are you?"

Loki clucked his tongue. "I don't believe in cheap flattery. If I choose to compliment someone, I mean it."

The mattress wobbled and groaned a bit under his weight as he moved closer. "For example..."

The air squeezed out of my lungs as Loki abruptly slid two fingers inside me. I was still embarrassingly wet from what we'd done minutes before, but it had still startled me. The pleasure awoke again and sent goosebumps flaring over my naked spine.

"You," he murmured. "Have the sweetest, tightest cunt I've ever had the pleasure of touching and tasting. Better than I could ever imagine. I want to get lost in it."

He drew his fingers out deliciously slow. I pressed my forehead to the sheets to keep my composure. "Did you...you know...picture me while you were at home?"

Loki let the question hang between us for a moment. I didn't have to look at him to know he'd be scrutinizing me right now with those seawater eyes. "That is a bit of a loaded question, sweetheart."

I shrugged. "I'm genuinely curious. I don't consider myself the kind of girl men fantasize about."

He sighed. "As much as I don't care to admit it, yes. I was having sex with other women on a weekly basis, but in my alone time, it was mostly you that I pictured. I had feared this would happen, you know. That's why all my previous assistants were in their fifties and sixties to remove the temptation of hiring a beautiful girl who would disrupt my workflow and derail my personal life. By the time I realized how desirable I found you, it was far too late to do anything about it. I couldn't fire you on the grounds that I was attracted to you, after all."

I shook my head a little. "Wow. I still don't get what you see in me."

"Because you're too used to being ignored," he said simply, sinking his fingers into me again. I moaned and gripped the sheets. "You're a headstrong woman with poise and conviction. The average man is simple and doesn't want a challenge to his supposed authority. I'm the opposite. While I enjoy shallow, meaningless rough sex with uncomplicated women, the ones who I unconsciously seek are like you. I want to be challenged."

He settled into rhythm, one hand massaging the soft flesh of my ass, the other pumping his fingers into me steadily. I rocked back and forth, blushing madly as I realized how exposed I was in this position. He had me dripping wet in barely minutes. I'd go tumbling over the edge into my orgasm sooner rather than later at this rate.

"W-What about you?" I struggled to say in between breathless gasps. "Have you ever been in love?"

For just a split second, I heard him inhale sharply. Then he replied, "No."

He angled a third finger inside me and curled all three digits. It raked across my spot. I screamed into the bed and came immediately as the liquid pleasure roared through me. Loki purred and gave my right cheek a fond little slap as he slid his fingers free of me. I shivered as he crawled above me and kissed my shoulder blade. "Mm, you sound magnificent when you come. I want to record it and use it as a ringtone."

I shook with hysterical giggles. "That's sick, Loki."

"It's not as if you don't already know I'm unwell," he pointed out, biting gently. "I'd kill to take some boudoir shots of you. I'd blow them up to portrait size and hang them above my bed."

I laughed harder. "Boudoir shots? Like a pinup girl?"

"Or Aphrodite. Perhaps an oil painting of you in nothing but one of my shirts."

"Kinky doesn't even begin to describe you, mister."

"You have no idea." He flattened his heavy, lithe frame on top of me at long last, and I resisted the urge to sigh at the golden warmth that sunk below the surface of my skin at his touch. His cock wedged itself tightly between the halves of my ass, throbbing slightly with impatience. He swept my hair to one side and licked the side of my neck, his lips hovering near my ear.

"This is usually the part where I'd say something sexy," he whispered. "But to be honest, I want to absolutely fucking _destroy_ you. This has been a long, frustrating few days for both of us, and so all I can promise is that I will use every ounce of that frustration to make you come harder than you ever have in your entire life. I want to make you forget that anything exists except for me. I want you conquered. Dominated. Satisfied. So tell me, sweetheart. Is that what you want as well?"

I pushed my hips up into his pelvis. "You talk too much, Loki."

An evil chuckle slithered out of his throat then. "Very well."

He reared back onto his knees and palmed both halves of my ass, rubbing his cock between them enough to elicit shuddering moans from me as the silken skin created friction. He kneaded the plump curves faster and faster, until I was gasping from anticipation. "It shouldn't arouse me so much considering it's nothing more than a green card wedding, but I admit I love the idea of you being mine in a little less than twenty-four hours from now. For the briefest amount of time, I get to call you my wife. Instead of fucking a smart, beautiful girl who excites me, I'd be fucking _my wife_."

"Oh _God_ , Loki," I moaned, fisting the sheets. " _Fuck_ , that's so hot. Keep going."

"Do you like that, Mrs. Laufeyson?"

My entire body tensed up at once, springy muscles contracting sharply at his words. "Fuck yeah."

"Do you want to belong to me, sweetheart?"

"Yes. Only you. Please, Loki. Own me."

He growled and then snapped his hips against my ass in one fluid motion. His cock sliced into me like a hot knife through butter. Lightning sizzled through every nerve and burned me inside out. My pussy clenched his shaft on all sides as if he'd melded into me, as if we'd fused to each other as one. It became more than just sex in that one moment. It became need. I needed him to extinguish the inferno he'd just lit within us both.

Loki fastened those big hands onto my hips and didn't even hesitate for a second. He fucked me. With every thrust, he yanked me back down onto his pelvis to ensure his cock dug as deep as possible, so goddamn deep I could almost taste him on the back of my tongue, so hard my entire frame jerked violently each time I bounced forward. He pounded into me, riding the rise and fall of my lower body, not hiding his low-pitched grunts and groans of arousal. Every sound he made was like music to my ears. It thrilled me to know I could make this impossible, infuriating, gorgeous man lose his composure. Selfishly, foolishly, I soaked in every minute of his wordless praise.

"Mm, you're shaking, sweetheart," the bastard purred, squeezing my ass so that I cried out. "Do you want to come on your husband's cock?"

I shook my head. "N-Not...without...you."

"Oh, I'm not finished with you yet," he chuckled darkly. "Not by a long shot."

He slid his hand along my side until he reached my left breast, tweaking, pinching my nipple. "There is so much more pleasure to take from you. Is that not why a woman's body can have multiple orgasms?"

"Goddammit, Loki," I groaned, panting madly. "I want you to come."

"Believe me, sweetheart, you're going to get your wish, but not until I'm satisfied. And I won't be satisfied until this pretty little cunt is completely, utterly fucked out. So do us both a favor and come for me again."

Stubborn defiance rose from the depths inside me. "No."

"No?" he echoed.

"Either we both come or no one does."

Mocking laughter left him. "Is that a challenge, sweetheart?"

"Damn right it is."

He dropped the full weight of his body onto my back, flattening me to the bed, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. "Oh, is that right? I'll let you in on a little secret."

I stifled a scream as he slipped his hand between my thighs and stroked my clit. "I can make you come whenever I want. You can't resist me. We both know it."

I glanced at him over my shoulder, my lips curling into an equally smug smile. "So can I, Laufeyson."

I wiggled my hips from side to side while he was still deep inside me and then simply clenched my inner walls with most of my strength. Loki shut his eyes and exhaled in a hiss. His cock pulsed and throbbed in approval, although he shot a glare at me in spite of it.

"I'm not as innocent as I look," I said, batting my eyelashes. "Husband dear."

"That mouth is going to get you into so much trouble in the near future," he warned.

"If I didn't like trouble," I said tartly, flexing my slick channel over his cock again. "I wouldn't be marrying you."

A storm roiled in those blue-green eyes, but I still had his attention, so I did it again. His breathing got real shallow all of the sudden. "Come for me, Loki. Don't you want to come inside your wife?"

He groaned, swallowing hard, unable to help himself. He unconsciously shifted on top of me, pushing deeper into my core. "Stubborn girl."

Loki wrapped his fingers around my throat, locking me into place, pumping into me in short, hard thrusts that sent jolts of electric pleasure crackling through me. I fell into rhythm with him and widened my thighs to give him more space to move. He moaned on every other harsh breath and lowered his mouth to my shoulder, biting down, squeezing my throat as we both climbed towards the climax.

I cried out as his other hand slid higher up until his fingertips raked over my clit, flicking over it until my pussy was so tight around him that he couldn't withdraw more than an inch or so. "God... _fuck_...Loki...I--"

Whatever I had been about to say dissolved on the back of my tongue as he sent me spinning off the edge into sweet oblivion. His heavy chest, abs, and legs stiffened above me for several glorious seconds and then he exhaled in a quick, shaking breath. Searing liquid heat poured into me. I moaned and squirmed with feverish delight as he came inside me, bucking his hips as he emptied himself in my soaking core.

He shuddered from head to toe and stilled atop me, his sweaty forehead resting on the hickey he'd left, breathing a line of fire down over my side. I'd collapsed flat to the bed not long after he had. He stayed draped over me like a warm, human blanket for a while as we both floated through the afterglow.

Eventually, Loki let out a happy little sigh and murmured, "As soon as my limbs start working again, I'm going to punish you dearly for that."

I let out a hoarse little giggle and kissed his wrist. "It's not nice to threaten your wife, you know."

"No, but it's apparently necessary when she is a naughty creature like you are," he said, narrowing his eyes at me slightly. "I don't appreciate you breaking my winning streak."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sorry I'm so awesome at sex, Loki."

He laughed softly and swatted my backside playfully before tipping over. "Apology accepted."

Loki gathered me up in his arms and folded me into his chest, brushing a kiss over my forehead. "Rest. Tradition states that once it's morning, your family will come collect me and I won't see you again until the ceremony. If we take a cat nap, there's an excellent chance we can fuck each other until about an hour before they remove me from our bedroom."

"Mm, now that's what a girl likes to hear," I mused, closing my eyes. His heart thrummed strong and constant against my cheek. It was so nice and comfy that I didn't even notice when I slipped off into a content slumber only minutes later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I give up. We're just running a smut marathon together, apparently. xD


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Loki's wedding. Will getting hitched go off without a hitch?

Loki didn't wake me. Nothing in particular did, not that I remembered. My eyes just drifted open on their own and I caught a glimpse of the peaceful expression on Loki's face as he slept. For just a moment, I could appreciate just how staggeringly handsome he actually was. Loki constantly frowned, scowled, or had that sinister grin in place, so this was possibly the first time I'd ever seen him relaxed. He really did look like a god or a prince of some sort with that pale skin and classic chin.

I rolled my head over across the pillow until I could see the clock. It wasn't long after six o'clock. Holy hell. We'd actually gone all the way to sleep instead of our plan to nap and boink each other later. My family usually started stirring around seven o'clock or so. There was at least a chance to sneak in one more quickie before they'd whisk him away until sunset.

My stomach twinged with anxiety. Come sundown, I'd be a married woman. Married to my boss, who I'd hated for almost 365 days. Married to a man who didn't love me. Hoo boy.

I brushed a curling lock of jet-black hair away from Loki's forehead. He stirred and his lashes slid back. He gave me an admittedly adorable sleepy smile. "Yes, Mrs. Laufeyson?"

"It's after six. We messed up."

Loki groaned in disappointment. "Seriously? We both fell completely asleep?"

"Like little cuddly kittens."

He leaned across my upper torso and grabbed the alarm clock, checking the time, his expression sour. "Bloody perfect. I'm ashamed of myself. I try to be a man of my word."

"It's okay," I told him. "We've had a long weekend. It's to be expected."

"Even so. I was looking forward to rocking your world some more." He bent his head enough to kiss me gently.

"You mean try to blow my back out some more," I said, to which he laughed. "I'm starting to think you really are the God of Mischief."

"Wouldn't be the first time someone did."

I bit my lip, weighing my options. "Can I ask you something?"

"Mm-hmm," he said, nuzzling my neck.

"Why don't you ever talk about your family?"

Loki froze. I kept a steady tone. "I know you're estranged from them. Your brother calls every month. He...seems nice, you know. I get that it's a sore subject. But maybe it might help to talk about it, even if it's just a little bit."

Loki's shoulders sagged. His voice came out mildly annoyed. "You're not going to drop this, are you?"

"Probably not."

He heaved a deep sigh and pulled away, his face carefully neutral. "I'm adopted."

Up went my eyebrows. "Oh."

"My birth father only had me for a short time before he died, so I never found out who my mother is. I was adopted by a wealthy family in England and raised there until I finished university and moved here. My brother, Thor, who suffered the same fate of a father with a Norse god complex, is the polar opposite of me. Extremely athletic and handsome and extroverted. Everyone in our family adores him, as does the world at large. I lived in his shadow for most of my childhood. There was no overt abuse from my parents or anything, but it wasn't a pleasant experience, so I broke off the relationship as soon as possible to strike out on my own."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

"Don't be. I'm a grown man. I can get by without them."

I went over his words for a moment or two. "So why does Thor still try to contact you every month?"

"Because he's an optimistic idiot," Loki said, rolling his eyes. "Part of why it's so hard for other people to hate him is that he actually is a good person. He's a fool, but he doesn't ever do anything out of spite. He's like a 6'5'' musclebound golden retriever, basically."

I snorted. "Sounds like I chose the wrong brother."

He glared at me. I grinned. "Kidding, husband dear. If that's true, why do you always tell me to ignore his calls?"

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Loki," I said sternly. "You're smart enough to know it's not about that. Even if you just pick up and say, 'hi, I'm fine, thanks for asking, how are you' and then keep moving, it's better than nothing. Does he even know you felt overshadowed when you were kids?"

Loki worked his jaw. "To some degree."

"You're an extremely headstrong person. You're also hard to read. If he's not the one who treated you badly, I think the guy deserves another chance. He's a good person; you said so yourself. Doesn't mean you have to be besties and go shopping at Armani together. Just means that you're brothers. As an only child, I can attest to the fact that sometimes not having someone to talk to sucked when I was a kid."

Loki considered me for a moment. "Yes, especially considering what an ogre your own father is. He's quite a piece of work."

"Understatement of the year."

"Fine," Loki grumbled. "I will at least consider it, alright?"

He scowled at me. "You nagging shrew."

"Oh, I'm a shrew, am I? Well, no quickie for you, mister." I started to roll over to climb out of bed, but he chuckled and wound his arms around me like twin pythons.

"There is no escape," he said, squeezing me teasingly. "I owe you at least one more mind-blowing orgasm."

To my surprise, Loki tugged me astride his waist. Since Loki was a borderline dominant, I hadn't expected that he'd let me be on top. My heart pounded against my breastbone as I stared down at him in all his dark glory, completely naked, completely vulnerable. Our eyes searched each other for a few terrifying heartbeats and I realized with a start that maybe this wasn't as simple as pre-marital sex.

Before the thought could flourish, Loki brought me down to his lips and kissed me. I balanced over him, my fingers spread over his lean, muscular chest, gulping down breaths every other kiss. My head spun with drunken dizziness. These kisses...they were different. Gentler. Deeper. As if we'd stopped touching each other and instead started actually _feeling_ one another. It was the difference between a Hershey bar and a Lindt chocolate bar--the same basic idea, but the latter was richer than the former.

Loki shoved the tangled sheets away and let his fingers roam over me, starting at my shoulders, trailing over my upper back, along the curve of my spine, his fingers spanning over my backside, finally coming to a stop at the bend of my knees. He tugged me forward in his lap and tilted my head back to allow his lips to travel over the hollow my throat. He reached my breasts and paid them equal, sensual homage before he released them with a little smack of his lips. I busied myself lightly teasing his cock by brushing my fingertips along its length and using my palm to stroke the underside.

He sat up completely, one hand between our bodies, his arm caging me against the wall of his chest, hovering just an inch from kissing me. I expected a taunt, a promise, but he just smiled at me. Fool that I am, I smiled right back.

He kissed me right when I lowered myself down onto his cock. I hadn't needed any foreplay, not with how he'd been so thoroughly caressing nearly every inch of me. I dug my fingernails into his shoulder blades and let my eyes flutter shut for the first few savory seconds of entry. I was a little sore, but not enough to be distracting. It felt like sliding beneath the covers after a long, weary day. Instead of overexcited, I felt tranquil, content, and treasured.

Uh-oh.

The thought didn't linger for long as Loki slid his hand up, palm flat to my lower belly, coaxing me into my next movement. I gasped into his mouth as the two of us moved as one, withdrawing him and edging him back inside. He drove a couple of helpless moans from me as his thumb swiped my clit once, twice, and then he encircled me in his arms to keep me flush to his hard body while he moved. I clung to him and used my legs to lift and drop me onto his cock, my thighs clenching every time as it stoked the pleasure inside me from a spark into a blaze. Every stroke made me wetter, which let him delve deeper, which loosened my control over myself. I tilted my head back and Loki took the offering of my neck, painting it with slow, wet kisses that made my toes curl. We moved faster at the same time without any verbal cues or looks exchanged. Somehow, it just clicked. He just knew how to move me, when and where to touch me.

Oh no. Oh, no, no, no.

"Loki," I whispered hoarsely, prying my eyes open even though it was a Herculean effort to do so.

"I know," he whispered back, staring right at me from so close that it terrified me.

"I should..." I struggled to speak past the growing lump in my throat. "We should...stop..."

His arms squeezed me to him. "Do you want to stop?"

I shook my head. "But if we don't--"

"Shh," he murmured. "Doesn't matter. I'm here now. We're here now. Stay with me, sweetheart."

I knew better. I really did. But he was right. I didn't want to stop.

Loki stretched out onto his back, spreading my legs wider with his thighs, his fingers holding my waist so I couldn't squirm away as he started pummeling my spot. I bit my lower lip to stifle a scream as the pleasure welled up inside me like hot coffee in a mug, threatening to brim over. Just as my eyes fluttered shut again, he gave one side of my ass a sharp slap, his voice low and rumbling with authority.

"Watch me, sweetheart," he ordered. "Watch me while you come on your husband's cock."

My arms collapsed as he fucked me harder still and I ended up propping my hands on either side of his head, moaning uncontrollably as my inner walls locked him deep within my slippery core and rippled with warning. I leaned my forehead against his, whimpering his name, but he didn't relent, sliding his hands down over my ass to help rock me down onto his cock. The only thing I could see were those topaz eyes as he released me with a perfectly timed twist of his hips.

Loki growled out my name in return and arched up from the bed all at once as he came. I shuddered hard and slipped my arms around his neck, kissing him as we both vaulted into the pool of ecstasy. Again and again, we shifted against one another in a damp, sweaty pile of limbs until we were both exhausted and delirious from the pleasure. I went limp and boneless atop his chest and drifted off in a haze, unsure of I was heading towards heaven or hell at this point.

A while later, Loki woke me by brushing fallen locks of hair off my forehead and behind my ear. I heard his hoarse baritone tinged with regret. "It's almost seven o'clock, sweetheart."

I nodded, too tired to say anything. He chuckled and gently slid me onto my side. I cuddled my pillow as he scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. The Devil had a nice ass, in case you were wondering.

Loki turned and pulled the covers over my shoulders, kissing my forehead. "See you at sunset, wife."

"See you at sunset, husband."

He grinned, gathered his clothes, and took a quick shower.

I was asleep by the time he left.

-

Thankfully, wedding prep made my day go by so quickly that I didn't have much time to fret over what had happened that morning. I helped my mother and grandmother cook, decorate, picked up wedding gifts, made final adjustments to the dress, and made sure everything looked as good as it could for something we'd put together in a day-and-a-half. Every once in a while, the suffocating anxiety of what I was about to do to my family tried to creep up like fog beneath a door, but I shoved it aside. My family was strong. They'd get through the disappointment.

I just wasn't sure that I would.

It wasn't until half an hour before that I got another bomb dropped on me.

"Excuse me."

I stiffened and then whirled around to see Clint Barton.

Standing next to my father.

I took a deep breath and tried not to sound nervous. "Mr. Barton, you're a long way from New York."

He almost smiled. "It's good to get out of the office. We need to talk."

My father jerked his head in the direction of the study. I followed the pair. Thankfully, almost everyone was already outside, so they didn't see us.

I shut the door and crossed my arms. "What's this all about?"

"I called Mr. Barton back after yesterday and was able to convince him to strike a deal," my father said. "You can walk out there, right now, and tell Laufeyson this whole thing is off. He gets deported, but you won't go to jail since you were under duress when the proposition was made. You had no choice since he could fire you and you lose everything as well as your reputation."

Anger didn't cut it. Rage was closer. I aimed my furious gaze at my father and my jaws barely moved as I squeezed out. "How. Fucking. _Dare._ You."

"This has gone far enough," my father spat. "You're about to ruin your life and I'm not going to stand here and allow my daughter to go to jail for some asshole."

Clint raised his hand. "Sir, if I may?"

My father clenched his jaw and turned away, running a hand through his hair. "Fine, go ahead."

Clint stepped forward. He didn't seem agitated at all, even after our display. "Miss, I want you to listen to me. From what your friends and coworkers have told me, you are a good person. They've sung your praises at how kind you are. Reliable. Dependable. Sweet. I can see why Mr. Laufeyson would lean on you with something of this magnitude. You don't back down from a challenge. I can admire that, actually, in a way. It stands to reason that you may actually have developed feelings for him."

He exhaled. "But this deal is your best bet. You shouldn't risk your future for this man. Even if maybe you love him, it's clear he doesn't love you back or he wouldn't be willing to allow you to go to jail while he just gets booted out of the country. Reconsider your current course. It's not too late. If you confess on tape that this was all his idea and you were just an innocent bystander, we'll wipe the slate clean."

Clint set his feet and lifted the recorder. "Last chance. What's it going to be?"

I stared at him, then glanced at my father, who stood behind him with his arms crossed. "Six months ago, Loki and I started dating in secret. We fell in love. We're getting married in half an hour. The end."

I opened the door and marched away from them both without another word.

-

"You can do this," I whispered to myself. "You can _do_ this."

The wedding march swelled up and reached my ears from where I stood around the other side of the big tree with its old, worn tire strung up. I took a deep breath and walked through the dappled orange sunlight towards the dock.

The guests were sitting in a cluster of white chairs to one side of the tiny dock. There was a long satin trail leading towards it already scattered with the petals from petunias the same color as the sash on my dress. My little cousin had looked precious tossing them as she went. There was a lattice at the makeshift altar decorated with ribbons and purple flowers as well as tiny fairy lights. It sent a heavenly glow down over the clearing and the water of the lake.

The sight of Loki waiting at the altar nearly stopped me in my tracks.

He wore a tuxedo with drape lapels, an off-white dress shirt beneath it, and a black bowtie. He had a small flower clipped to the pocket that fit the purple theme. His hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck in a neat ponytail. He smiled when he saw me--a real smile, not a smirk or a grin. Warmth emanated from him. He was stunning.

Then, as I watched, something slipped into those bright eyes of his. Something hidden. The smile never moved, but his gaze changed somehow.

My knees wobbled just a bit as I strode over to him, my high heels clicking once I stepped over the wooden planks until we faced each other. I handed my bouquet to my mother and settled the soft skirts of my dress around me as the music faded out to allow the pastor to begin the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved," he said, smiling proudly. "We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Loki Laufeyson and--"

"Pardon me," Loki said quietly.

"Yes, son?" the pastor asked.

"I..." Loki shut his eyes. Ice cold fear clenched my gut. I touched his hand, my voice low.

"Loki, no," I whispered. "Don't. Please."

He lifted his chin a bit. When his eyes reopened, they might as well have been hard as diamonds.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he murmured, squeezing my fingers before he let go. "I can't do this to you."

Loki faced the guests and spoke in a clear voice over the worried murmurs. "Good evening, everyone. I want to thank you deeply from the bottom of my heart for coming and for putting on one of the most beautiful ceremonies I've ever seen before, and in a remarkably short amount of time. It's quite commendable and I'm deeply touched by the gesture."

He paused and then tucked his hands inside his pockets. "Two days ago, my immigration lawyer came to me and told me that my work Visa had expired and I was to be deported. Because of my ego, I couldn't allow that to happen, and so I blackmailed this lovely young woman beside me into accepting a marriage proposal so I could instead receive my green card and remain in this country."

Everyone froze. Loki continued. "And at first, I thought nothing of it. It was merely a business transaction. After all, I promised her that I would publish her novel and she would be free of my control, which was what she had wanted all along. I have been nothing short of a bastard and a wretch to this woman since the day we met. Every story, every tale, every word she's ever spoken about me prior to this weekend is absolutely true. I thought it would be a snap to come into your home, into your family, and lie to your faces about my feelings just to keep my career intact."

Loki's shoulders sank. "But it turns out that the Devil has a soul after all. Spending time with you, and her, has reminded me of how precious and important families are. It's been such a long time since I had one that I undervalued it. I cannot allow her to become estranged with you the way I am with my own family. I cannot allow her to risk her future for someone who would do something so callous to her and to her loved ones. I am unworthy of her company. I am unworthy of the company for which I did this to her. I am unworthy of this country and what it stands for. There is no apology grand enough to express my regret for doing this to such a lovely group of people. I hope that you may find it in your hearts to forgive her. Through it all, she's handled the awful pressures I've placed upon her with grace beyond her years."

He sighed softly and angled his profile towards me, unable to look me in the eyes. "Goodbye, sweetheart."

Loki motioned for Clint and the two men started up the hill towards the car. I was still standing at the altar when I heard the doors close and the rumble of the engine as it drove away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cackles as she imagines your despair* Ain't I a stinker?


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of Loki's departure from the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, folks. The final chapter. *dramatic music cue*

I found Loki at the office the next morning, packing up his stuff and speaking to one of my coworkers about the forwarding address. I moved in quick, purposeful strides, enough that said coworker took one look at the expression on my face, swallowed hard, and pointed. Loki turned his head and saw me. Several emotions flickered across his features; fear, concern, disbelief, regret, anger, sorrow.

"Sweetheart, I don't have time for this," he started to say once I was within earshot. "I only have 48 hours to vacate the country or--"

I grabbed Loki's tie, jerked him down to my height, and snarled, "Shut. The _Fuck_. Up."

The entire office went dead silent.

Loki gulped, but obeyed. I pointed to the chair directly behind him, which happened to be at my desk. "Sit."

He cleared his throat and sunk down into the chair without protest. I raked a hand through my hair and paced back and forth in front of him, a bitter chuckle in my throat. "You have some _fucking_ nerve, Laufeyson. First, you put this Visa stuff off enough months that you let it expire in the first place without just letting me handle it for you. Then you blackmail me into going along with this ridiculous charade at the risk of imprisonment. Then you try to seduce me in the process while I'm up to my eyeballs in lies and deceit surrounded by the people I care about most, and yet after fooling around with me for _one night_ , you catch feelings, grow a conscience, and bail on me at the altar."

I leaned down and put my hands on either side of him atop the arm rests of the chair. "You left me standing at the fucking altar."

"Let me explain--"

I held up a finger. "Did I fucking say that you could talk yet?"

Loki grimaced, but shut his mouth yet again. "This isn't about you blackmailing me. This isn't about you putting my family through hell just so you can stay here and work. This is about yesterday morning when we were in bed together, and the big bad Devil himself fell in love."

He winced. "Yeah, that's right. The Grinch grew a fucking heart and so you left me standing there like a complete fucking idiot in front of everyone because you realized what a royal asshole you've been this entire time, and you thought you'd take the noble route and spare me the pain of marrying you and endure your banishment back to England on your own."

I rose and crossed my arms under my chest. "Well, I've got three words for you. Tough. Fucking. Shit."

He frowned, confused. "Loki, I don't go around marrying people just to be a nice person or to keep a job. I made a commitment to you. I made a promise to you. I wouldn't have done that for anyone else and we both know it. And I held up my end of the bargain. It's time that you held up yours. So you're gonna get off your bony ass, come down to the courthouse with me, and get married so you can stay in this country. Do you know why you're going to do that?"

Loki swallowed hard and shook his head. "Because I love you too."

His eyes widened. His jaw fell open, slack with shock. "And because I have never gone up against a challenge and not overcome it. You and I are two of the most stubborn, uncompromising people on the planet Earth. Do you think for one second that we're so incompetent that we can't ace that immigration marriage test? That's a walk in the park compared to what we've faced on our own before. I want to spend the rest of my life torturing you to get you back for this ridiculous debacle. I want to be the Persephone to your Hades."

I offered him my hand. "So are you just going to sit there or are you going to join me in the Underworld?"

Silence reverberated throughout the entire office suite. You could've heard a pin drop on the carpet.

Loki licked his lips. "Permission to speak?"

I pretended to think it over. "Granted."

Loki pushed to his feet, towering over me like always, his gaze transfixed by mine. He took my hand and flipped it over, kissing the back of it. He smiled fondly down at me and spoke.

"Let's go to hell, sweetheart."

* * *

**Three months later...**

"What's my schedule look like today?"

"Meeting at eight with an up-and-comer novelist, a workshop with the literary agents at nine, tea with your mother at ten, a meeting with your boss at eleven, lunch at noon, and then the rest of the day is normal grunt work."

He sighed. "Marvelous. Are you certain I can't do like the old days and shove it all off on you instead?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Not if you ever want to have sex with me again."

"It's almost worth the temptation." I smacked his shoulder and he chuckled as he looped his arms around my waist to hold me close as I tied his tie.

"I'm only teasing. What if I commit to the grunt work, but we leave at four o'clock instead of the usual six?"

I pretended to think about it. "To do what?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "I'm sure I can think of something."

I rolled my eyes. "Well, it is Friday. How about you let the whole office off at four and it's a deal?"

"Fair enough." I finished tying the knot and accepted the sweet kiss he placed on my lips. "I love you."

I couldn't keep a sheepish grin off my face. No matter how many times I heard it, I'd never get sick of it. "Love you too."

Someone cleared their throat loudly from the doorway and then spoke in a boisterous, deep voice with a British accent that very nearly matched Loki's. "I'm terribly sorry to interrupt, but I'm looking for a vibrant, beautiful girl with a sparkling personality and endless charm."

I squealed with delight and turned, scurrying over to the 6'5'' honey-blond man standing in the doorway. I threw myself into his arms and he gave me a wonderful bear hug before spinning me in a circle. "Thor! What are you doing here?"

"I came over with Mother," he said, grinning as he put me down. "Thought I'd surprise you by taking you out to coffee, my dear sister-in-law."

I shook my head, unable to wipe the grin off my lips. "Your timing is perfect, as usual. I was just about to go grab some for us."

Thor guided his gaze across the office towards Loki and nodded, his smile never fading. "Brother."

Loki gave him a cool look, but nodded right back. "Brother. Have my wife back within half an hour. And I want an espresso while you're at it."

I scowled at him. "You could at least say please."

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Please get me an espresso while you're off with the buffoon."

"You're so cranky when you haven't had your caffeine fix," Thor said. "I shall attempt to return your wife to you within the time limit, but I make no promises. She's much too good for you and we might find her a better offer while we're out."

Loki scowled. "You wish."

Thor winked at him. "We have to keep you on your toes, don't we?"

The big blond whirled around to complete the next stage of our usual interactions. "Piggyback ride, milady?"

"Absolutely!" I climbed onto his enormous, broad back and pointed for the hallway. "Onward, my noble steed."

"I'm surrounded by idiots," Loki lamented. "Behave yourself, Mrs. Laufeyson."

I blew my husband a kiss. "I make no such promises, Mr. Laufeyson."

He tried to hide it, but I saw the smile on his lips before we left. He wasn't fooling anyone. What a sap.

Thor and I made rounds through the office taking requests and orders before heading to the elevator. He hit the button and hummed cheerfully while we waited. "Might I ask you an honest question?"

I settled my chin on his hair and hugged his neck. "Always."

"My brother can be rather difficult. Frustrating. Impossible. I would be remiss if I didn't ask if you were alright, now that you've been married for a while. Are you truly happy, my dear?"

The elevator doors parted and Thor walked the two of us inside. I listened to the chimes as we passed the floors down towards the lobby, thinking it over.

"It's not easy," I said. "We fight. My family is still in the process of forgiving him. He can be possessive and jealous and ill-tempered. He challenges me every day. I can't lie to him. I can't hide anything from him. He knows me, inside and out."

I smiled down at Thor as the doors opened onto a bright, sunny morning. "Yeah. I'm happy."

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been fun, guys. I'm really pleased with how this turned out as well as your reactions. 
> 
> I may or may not include a wedding night epilogue of some sort, though, to make up for the last chapter being so short. Stay tuned.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos. I've really enjoyed reading your reactions.


	11. Bonus chapter: Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Reader's night after the courthouse wedding ceremony in the previous chapter.

"You know," Loki drawled, absently spinning the white-gold ring gleaming on his left hand. "A bride is usually supposed to look happy after her wedding."

I crossed my arms as I waited for the inevitable 'ding' of the elevator to indicate it had arrived to the lobby of my apartment building. It was late. After the courthouse ceremony, we'd gone to the immigration inspector's office for the test, aced it, returned to our office to work, had dinner, and that was it for the day. It had been a whirlwind, honestly. I should've been exhausted and ready to sleep.

But I wasn't.

"Oh, really?" I asked facetiously.

_Ding._

The elevator doors parted. Loki and I stepped inside. I hit the button for the eighth floor. The doors shut. The elevator started up again.

We'd only made it to about the fourth floor when I mashed the Emergency Stop button, turned around, and pinned Loki to the wall opposite me.

To his credit, he didn't yelp in surprise; merely gasped into my mouth as I stretched up towards him on my tiptoes and kissed him with bruising force. He wound his arms around me rather than shoving me away, which turned me on even more.

"Stupid, thoughtless, hardheaded, irritating, arrogant, impossible--" I growled out insults between nearly each and every sloppy, forceful kiss I planted on his lips. "--can't fucking believe you were going to go back to England without me--"

Loki let out a breathless little laugh. "In my defense, I've never been in love before."

I shoved his shoulders back to the wall and glared at him. "Neither have I, but even I know better than to run away."

I ripped his suit jacket open, tore his shirt out from where it had been tucked in his pants, and undid the belt. "Sweetheart, what are you--"

"Shut the hell up, Loki." I dropped to one knee, yanked his pants and boxer-briefs to mid-thigh, and took his cock inside my mouth all the way to the base in one single smooth motion.

Loki's head rolled back on his neck and he moaned my name at the ceiling with all the air in his lungs.

Oh, dear God, _yes_.

Lucky for me, Loki hadn't been completely erect yet when I took him in my mouth or there would've been a good chance I'd have gagged. I hollowed out my cheeks, sucking him hard, and then let him slide free as the tender flesh of his cock responded immediately to the stimulus. By the time the tip exited my mouth, he was completely rock hard and therefore awfully intimidating at eye level. I fisted him and stroked the shaft while I circled the head with my tongue, listening to the litany of gasps and curses that escaped my husband as he clutched the wall behind him in an attempt to stay standing. His knees had gotten weak, apparently. Ha.

"You've gone mad," he panted out, pupils dilated until there was just a tiny ring of color left. "We can't--not in here--someone will come across us--"

"They'll get over it," I said, and then narrowed my eyes at him. "You left me at the altar. I'm exacting my revenge."

"I can see that," he said, sweeping his fallen hair out of his face. "But can we not simply do that in your apartment?"

"Didn't want to wait," I said shortly before enveloping the head of his cock again. "Besides, never had sex in an elevator before. Sounds kind of hot."

He hissed as I swallowed him again, about halfway down, curling my tongue against the underside. I wasn't terribly into oral sex in general, but it had more to do with my former bed partners than anything else. They often did things I disliked, like wanting to do disparaging, borderline sexist things to me while I performed it. The act itself could sometimes feel demeaning, as if it was a woman's place to service a man and she was nothing more than an instrument of shallow pleasure. Loki was something of a dominant, and so I'd wanted to extract my revenge this way not only to remind him just who the hell he'd agreed to marry, but because I knew he wasn't expecting it, so his reactions were unfiltered and honest.

His cheeks were flushed. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His lips stayed parted and every so often he mirrored me in licking them, probably an unconscious gesture. He wouldn't touch me yet, but I suspected he wanted to since my instincts told me he'd be the kind for the rough stuff. I'd long since learned to bypass my own gag reflex, but with a big cock like his, I wasn't entirely sure I'd survive a throat-fucking. Hell, he was halfway down my throat already and that was with me in control.

"Sweetheart," Loki ground out through gritted teeth. "I understand your need to torture me, but I will be no good to you tonight if you keep at this so enthusiastically."

"Don't tell me you're a one-and-done kind of man, Loki," I taunted, stroking him faster with my fingers.

"Hardly," he said, shivering. "But I find it tedious having to wait in between to enjoy fucking you."

"Mm, I don't know," I murmured, cupping his balls. "It might be kind of fun to make you come right now. That way every time you ride this elevator, you'll think of me."

"That's already set in stone, trust me," he said, his voice edged with slight sarcasm.

"Well," I sighed as I circled the flushed head of his cock with my first finger and thumb. "Maybe if you said please, I'll consider it."

I watched him clench his jaw as I brought his cock inside my mouth again. By now, I'd generated enough saliva to make truly obscene, wet slurping sounds that would have been right at home on a porn site, and Loki's cock throbbed in wordless approval. I hummed just a little to send vibrations rushing through him and he finally broke.

He grabbed a fistful of my hair and moaned hard, his hips thrusting towards me helplessly. His cock swept down my throat nearly to the base, so I relaxed and held still until he regained control of himself. He took a couple shuddering breaths and held himself still, relaxing his long fingers in my hair.

"Please," he whispered hoarsely. "Please, sweetheart."

Ah, the magic word. It was music to my ears. That had probably taken a lot of out of him. I committed the moment to memory before I finally withdrew from him entirely.

"Good boy," I purred, staring up at him from under my lashes. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

He gripped my upper arms and drew me to my feet. Once I was standing again, he flipped our positions and pushed my arms up over my head, gripping my wrists to keep them there. He kissed me and then gave me a swift, sharp grin. "You are going to pay for that in the worst sort of way, sweetheart."

"Promises, promises."

Loki crossed my wrists and pinned them to the wall with one large hand. The other sunk between our bodies until he reached the button to my slacks. I gasped as he slid his other hand inside and palmed my slick heat, the heel of his hand adding sweet pressure against my clit. I bit my lip to stifle a moan as he ran his fingertips over my opening until they were coated with my wetness. He drew them out of my pants and licked them clean before leaning in until his cock molded itself between my thighs.

"Would you like me to fuck you in this elevator, sweetheart?" he whispered.

"Yes, please," I blurted out.

Loki's hips reared back and then he slipped inside me.

I cried out at the acute, all-consuming rush of pleasure tinged with pain. God. I'd never had sex standing up before. The added gravity somehow made that first thrust so intense my toes curled inside my pumps. Loki's cock twitched. I could feel every goddamn hard inch of him, pulsing so much that it reset my heartbeat to his within seconds. He wanted me so bad. The thought alone made me so wet it was insane.

I tried to wiggle out of my slacks, but he caught my waist in his free hand and squeezed, murmuring as he kissed me again. "Legs together. Hold still."

My knees nearly gave out when he slipped out of me nearly all the way, leaving only the tip, and then slammed right back into me with stunning strength. My inner walls clutched him tightly enough that every single stroke made him groan into my mouth. His arousal only heightened my own. His firm chest heaved with excited breaths as it pinned me to the wall. Our clothing whispered as our bodies rubbed furiously against each other, the friction somehow enhancing the sensation of his cock impaling me again and again, driving the pleasure deeper.

Loki slid his hand from my waist to my ass, squeezing hard, pulling me towards him as he settled into hypnotic, circling thrusts that mashed the broad head of his cock against the end of my channel. I shrieked in delight and couldn't help clamping down over him in sudden need.

He spread his legs into a wider stance and fucked up into me with relentless, nearly harsh strength. The new movement changed the angle of entry. Instead of grazing my spot, he pounded it. I couldn't even get out a warning. He made me come in only three toe-curling thrusts from that position.

"Oh, God, Loki!" I whimpered as my body sagged against the wall under the tidal wave of the climax. Pleasure seeped down through my pores and soaked me to the bone. He bit my upper lip, my lower one, his tongue curling around the inside of my mouth, silencing my words to just incoherent moans. The only thing that kept me standing was his lean frame and his hand on my ass. I'd have slumped to the floor in a senseless heap otherwise.

"Mm, that's lovely," he murmured, breaking the kiss enough to pass his lips over the edge of my jaw to my throat. He nipped over my pulse. "Good girl."

I shuddered. He chuckled lightly as he felt it. "Do you like it when I call you that?"

"Y-Yes," I mumbled, blushing.

"It's what you are, you know," he said, sweeping his soft lips down towards my shoulder. "Coming so sweetly on my cock like that. Get used to the feeling, my love. I will have you coming all night long in every manner in which you'll let me."

He glanced aside at the ringing noise of the elevator that I hadn't even heard since I'd been determined to torment my new husband. "Now then, shall we press on to your apartment before someone calls maintenance?"

"Sounds good." I bit my lip as he pulled out and redressed myself as much as possible. I hit the start button and the elevator returned to life, bringing us up to the eighth floor. Loki trailed me down the hallway, silent as a shadow, his gaze on me heavy as a cloak. I managed not to drop my keys as I unlocked the door to let him in. Go me.

Like any normal apartment in New York, mine was way too small and cost way too much. It had been one of the leading reasons why Steve had been staunchly against moving here. After all, for what I paid for this apartment here, I could have an entire four bedroom house in Atlanta. Still, I'd done the best I could with the limited space so it seemed quaint and cozy rather than cramped. I had a couch and a loveseat, an itty bitty breakfast nook with two stools, a flatscreen TV, a round kitchen table, and a bookshelf. I'd done my due diligence with the couch, too; it was so comfortable I'd curled up and slept on it for naps on a regular basis since Loki's weekday hours were murderous.

Loki set the small overnight bag he'd been carrying on the loveseat and took off his suit jacket as he glanced at his new surroundings. He lingered over the framed photos on the walls, a fond smile gracing his lips when he saw photos of me as a dorky preteen, my high school graduation photo, and my trip to Rio de Janeiro after college graduation. A little thrill went through me as I realized this wasn't just a guy I was dating--this was my _husband_. I'd be sharing this space with him now until the hereafter.

"I like it," Loki said. Something warm rushed over me. I'd never admit it out loud under the threat of death. He pushed one hand against the squishy material of the couch as if testing something. "This looks comfortable."

"It is," I confirmed as I shrugged out of my own suit jacket.

"Good," he said. "Then you won't mind me bending you over onto it."

He spun me around and pushed on my shoulders until I had to balance my palms on the back of the couch. He swept my blouse off, but didn't touch the bra. Instead, he unbuckled my slacks and shoved them down to puddle at my feet. His hand ran up my belly until he reached my chest and then it slipped beneath one cup to envelope my breast.

Loki playfully snapped the band of my underwear against my waist as he squeezed my breast, flicking his thumb over my nipple until it hardened. "Do you have any objections to christening the couch, dear wife?"

I shook my head. "It's stain-proof anyway."

"How fortunate." He tugged at the band of the panties again and I shot him a dirty look over my shoulder.

"Don't even think about it," I growled. "Rip those panties and I'll rip a hole in your suit."

Loki chuckled. "Is that not what happens in those cliche trashy novels that you accuse me of reading?"

"Yeah, and those women are rich and can afford new panties. Money doesn't grow on trees, mister."

"I am ridiculously wealthy, you know."

"It's the principle of the thing. No panty ripping."

"Tsk, tsk," he said as he obediently peeled the damp cotton away from my already glistening core. "You should be more impulsive, sweetheart. How else shall we keep our marriage from being boring?"

I licked my lips as he rubbed his cock along my bare ass once, twice, teasingly. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

"Something..." He trailed off just before his hand flew back enough to give my ass a sharp slap; not hard, just a pinprick of pain followed by a shot of adrenaline. My fingers flexed into the couch cushion all on their own. The air left my lungs in a gust. My inner walls clenched with excitement.

"Is this what you like?" I whispered hoarsely as I pressed back against his pelvis. "Punishing me?"

"You were rather naughty in that elevator," he said, pressing his palm against the sore spot he'd created. The coolness eased the pain immediately as if it had been ice to a burn wound. "But if it's not something you want--"

"Did you hear me say no, Loki?"

He swallowed hard enough that I heard it. "Then answer the question."

"Yes," he whispered. "I like punishing you."

"I won't break. I'm strong enough to handle it. And you."

"That you are, my love. But we already know what I like. It's time we started working on what you like." He unsnapped my bra and cupped each breast, driving little moans from me. He ran the edges of his thumbs over my nipples until my breathing got ragged. "I think you're so used to being strong and holding your head up high that you crave a man who will accept the responsibility of control and cater to your every need, whether you like it slow and gentle or hard and fast. I can feel that hunger, you know. That need. I can't promise you this will be easy, because it won't. But what I can promise you is that every single time you and I are intimate, you will get exactly what you need, the way you need it, and when you need it."

He ghosted his hands down my sides to my inner thighs and pushed them apart. "And right now, I think you need the fucking of a lifetime."

He latched on to my waist and delved inside me.

I moaned and clutched the couch cushion, my spine arching as the initial burn of his thick cock sliding into me flickered through my veins. Pleasure unfurled itself from within my gut. He let out one of those delicious, low purrs and then fell into rhythm immediately. He kept an excellent pace, almost to the beat of a metronome, every thrust hitting just the right spot, like scratching an itch one had been holding off on all day long. The cool air in the den contrasted with the heat of his skin against my ass, on my waist, making every sensation feel all the more intense. I bit my lip and tried to even out my breathing, but fucking Loki felt so damn good after I'd been thinking about it all day.

"Before you came to the office, I couldn't stop thinking about you," he drawled, as if reading my mind. "Standing there on the dock in that dress, looking good enough to eat. I wanted to drag you back inside, pull up that skirt, and fuck you in that wedding dress for hours. Did you bring it back with you from Atlanta?"

I choked on a laugh. "Of course I did."

"Marvelous. It's a shame I don't have my tuxedo with me right now. We could make a whole roleplay deal out of it."

"Kinky bastard."

"Guilty as charged. But you can't blame me. You were a vision. And now you're all mine." He dragged his fingertips over my sensitive lower belly. I cried out in surprise. It sent ticklish ripples down my skin, targeting my clit, making my knees weak. Loki tipped me forward over the couch and raised my ass, pistoning into me like a madman. My vision narrowed into tiny pinprick tunnels. My slick inner muscles clenched around his cock in warning as he rutted into me from behind.

"Loki... _fuck_...I'm gonna come..."

"Yes," he rasped. "Come for me, sweet. Come on your husband's cock like a good girl."

That last bit undid me. I convulsed and shoved my face into the couch. My scream came out muffled as he slapped my ass again, pumping harder into me as I climaxed. I slammed my fists into the couch frantically as the whole world seemed to shake apart and collapse into shards around me. Loki stilled after a moment or two, when I'd nearly gone limp as my orgasm dragged me under its depths. Holy hell. I'd never been fucked like that in this apartment, not once.

Loki swept my hair to one side and kissed the spot between my shoulder blades, sending a whole new wave of goosebumps and shivers down my naked spine. I squirmed helplessly. "Mm, baby, don't do that, I'm ticklish."

"I noticed," he said smugly. "I think it's adorable. Think you can walk?"

I caught my breath and then teetered my weight onto my legs. They were still a bit numb. "Maybe?"

He chuckled softly. "Hang on, love."

He knelt and pulled my slacks and panties completely off, then scooped me up bridal style. The motion wasn't the slightest bit awkward. He had much more upper body strength than I'd thought. I tried not to let a sentimental grin settle into place over my lips as he carried me into the bedroom. He lowered me to the mattress and kicked the door shut, undressing as he surveyed it.

"I may have made fun of the way you dress in the past, but you do have taste, it seems," he teased.

"Words, words, words," I said, scooting up towards the pillows. "I'll believe you when you let me redecorate your place."

He wrinkled his nose. "Don't know if I trust you that much yet."

I hit him in the chest with a pillow. He finished taking off his clothes and climbed over me, sliding his arm around my back to pull me up against that long, lean frame. He kissed me as he nudged my legs apart with his thighs and aligned our bodies, drawing a pleased sigh from me. "Now, my beautiful bride, I want you to tell me what you want."

I thought about it, running my fingers through his dark mane. "I wouldn't say no to a Klondike bar."

He grinned. "Afterward, I will happily go around the corner for one."

"Naked?"

"If you so desire."

I laughed. "Boy, would that be an interesting news story: _Naked Newlywed Goes to Gas Station for Post-Coital Dessert_. We haven't discussed the honeymoon yet, you know."

"Ah, right you are. Did you have any thoughts yet?" He kissed the column of my throat, sinking down my body one inch at a time.

"Hmm...never been to Europe before."

"Not a bad idea," he said, his tongue circling my navel. "Where about?"

"Maybe Greece? France? Italy? Spain? Actually, it would be kind of romantic to backpack across countries together. Just see where the, mm, the world, mm, takes us..." Words got a bit mushy as Loki's tongue swirled over my clit.

"I like that idea," he said, smacking his lips. "Could keep the honeymoon from getting stale. And I'd get to start spoiling you."

"Not really, mm, the type of woman who--ooh--needs to be spoiled."

"You deserve it. In the meantime, I'd like to get started on orgasm number three of the evening, so why don't you enlighten me on how to accomplish that?"

I raked my nails across his shoulders as the bastard licked a long, wet line up my opening. It was extremely hard to focus on saying anything when he did that. I finally found my vocabulary again. "Yesterday morning."

"Mm. What about it?"

I chewed my lip before continuing. "You and I, we...it wasn't like it had been the night before."

Something soft and considerate entered his eyes. "No, it wasn't."

"We made love to each other," I whispered, brushing his hair behind his ear. "It was--"

"Really, _really_ good," he finished for me. "Enough to scare us both a bit."

"Yeah. I...can you..." Words failed me. My throat tightened. My heart rate accelerated. I'd never asked a man this sort of thing before. As absurd as it sounded, it scared me more than a little.

Loki climbed up until we were face to face and tilted my chin up until I met his gaze. "I would like nothing more than to make love to you. Again and again until you beg me to stop. You are beautiful and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life making you feel as beautiful as you look."

He gripped my left leg under my knee and brought it up to his side, kissing me just as he slid inside me again. I tried not to scream, but I couldn't help it. He moaned out my name against my lips when he heard me and didn't hesitate for even a second. He sunk against my naked curves and simply _took_ me. Hard. Slow. Deliberate. Every inch of our skin touching, melting, melding us into one on my bed. My legs looped around those narrow hips, my ankles crossing, fingernails digging divots into his back. He stirred up the hearth inside me until it became a roaring furnace.

"Loki, God, Loki, please, _please_ ," I whimpered, trembling as I climbed once again towards my climax.

"Mm," he purred in my ear. "I like it when you beg, sweetheart."

He pushed up on his hands, anchoring them on either side of me, using the leverage to fuck me at a new angle. I cried out and clutched his forearms, holding on for dear life as his cock struck my spot and didn't stop, as if he were determined to pound me into submission.

"Loki," I gasped out, half-hysterical. "Please, baby, please. Come for me. I need it. _Please_ , baby."

He shuddered above me, his eyes like cold fire. "Why do you need it, sweetheart? Tell me."

"Because I love you."

He gripped both of my wrists and dragged them up the length of the bed over my head, linking our fingers. He kissed me as he held me there underneath him, trapped, locked into ecstasy.

"I love you," he whispered. "I always have and I always will."

Loki squeezed my hands with his fingers, shut his eyes, and then took us both to paradise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay thirsty, my friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Recently, I've fallen on some rough times and it would be an enormous help if you enjoyed this fic to drop a few bucks into my Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/birdofhermes. Every little bit helps, trust me, and I'd be eternally grateful. Thanks, guys.


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